ABSTRACT
Research on aging has been a prominent part of the field of practical or everyday memory. The Second Practical Aspects of Memory Conference contained a set of papers on the topic of aging (Gruneberg, Morris, & Sykes, 1988), and several other recent books have been devoted to aspects of aging and research on practical cognition and memory (Poon, Rubin, & Wilson, 1989; Reese & Puckett, 1993; West & Sinnott, 1992). The healthy synergy between aging research and interests in everyday memory research is far from accidental, for researchers interested in aging have long been interested in how laboratory findings on age differences in cognition translate into implications for everyday life, including functional competence of older adults (e.g., Birren, 1974; Schaie, 1988). In particular, issues associated with how interventions can be designed and implemented to enhance the functioning of older persons, including special populations of older adults (e.g., those with clinical memory disorders), have been discussed by gerontologists since the beginnings of the science of aging earlier in this century (e.g., Talland, 1968).
