ABSTRACT
From the standpoint of what might be called a sociology of memory, the author explains the synthesis she has adopted in an attempt to understand memory in old age and to deal with the practical problems experienced by many old people who have no discernible pathology.
It is argued that the aging process too often occurs in a social situation detrimental to intellectual functioning, and that the decrements interpreted as precursors of dementia may be due less to the aging process itself than to deleterious elements of that social situation.
Memory training for the aged has a role within this context if it deals specifically with problems the old people themselves regard as relevant, and if the model used for explanation makes sense to them; but dealing with low self-esteem and overcoming isolation are at least equally important.
