Final answer:
Older and younger adults engage in similar memory processes but older adults show slower processing speeds and lower accuracy. Practice and engaging in stimulating activities can mitigate age-related decline in memory performance. Factors like neurodegeneration and aging underline the differences in memory function between the two age groups.
Step-by-step explanation:
Both older and younger adults undergo the memory process. Older adults achieve lower scores to those of younger adults on tests of accuracy; however, they tend to take longer to complete memory tasks and make more errors. Training programs that were made to increase elders' information-processing speed have shown that practice plays a huge role in the speed with which individuals perform memory tasks. Loss in speed of processing are not only due to aging, but neurodegeneration as well.
Research comparing the aging brain to the brain functioning in younger people indicates that decreased memory abilities in older adults may stem from unavoidable brain changes, such as the degeneration of corticostriatal connections. Conversely, maintaining an active lifestyle involving mental and physical activities can help delay the onset of cognitive decline. Factors like memory trace decay and proactive interference can affect short-term memory retention, while cognitive rehabilitation and engaging in stimulating activities can mitigate memory loss due to neurodegeneration or age.
Ultimately, while both older and younger individuals engage in similar memory processes, older adults tend to have slower processing speeds and lower accuracy, influenced by both natural aging and other factors such as neurodegeneration.