Volunteers sought for new memory study

Would you like to help psychologists study how differences in age affects the memory? If so, you could provide invaluable help to researchers about to launch a new study at the University of St Andrews.

Dr Clare Cassidy and Joanne Persson are looking for volunteers to take part in a new study investigating age differences in perceptual speed and memory. The researchers are looking for local volunteers between the ages of 60-70 to participate in the study – they are particularly focusing on this age group as it has been previously neglected in similar studies.

All participants will be paid a nominal fee for participation in the study, and travelling expenses will be reimbursed. Responses from the experiment – which will take approximately 30-40 minutes – will of course be treated as anonymous and highly confidential.

The researchers said: “We are hoping to standardise a new measure of perceptual speed, which has so far only been tested on younger adults. We hope that our new methodology will extend previous research on age-related differences in performance and provide a new experimental paradigm through which to assess age differences.”

The study – funded by the Economic and Social Research Council – will be the first to be conducted in the School of Psychology’s new ‘Social Immersion Laboratory’, and will begin next week.

Interested individuals should contact Joanne Persson at Telephone 01334 462060 or email at [email protected].

ENDS

NOTE TO PICTURE EDITORS:

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE NEW LAB, PLEASE CALL THE RESEARCHERS DIRECT ON 01334 462060.

Issued by Beattie Media On behalf of the University of St Andrews Contact Gayle Cook, Press Officer on 01334 467227 / 462529, mobile 07900 050 103, or email gec3@st- andrews.ac.uk Ref: Psychology volunteer appeal 260805.doc View the latest University press releases at http://www.st- andrews.ac.uk