Three studies explored whether younger and older adults' free recall performance can benefit from prior exposure to distraction that becomes relevant in a memory task. Participants initially read stories that included distracting text. Later, they studied a list of words for free recall, with half of the list consisting of previously distracting…

Describes two experiments testing reports that subjects presented with outcome feedback are unable to remember their original knowledge state. Claims that while the first experiment confirmed the reports, the second indicated that feedback information is not automatically assimilated, and that prior knowledge state can be recalled when the…