Measurement Invariance of Working Memory Factors Across Younger and Older Adults1,2,3

Abstract

Whether the indices of working memory present the same constructs in the same way across age groups is a fundamentally important consideration when examining developmental changes in working memory. This study examined the invariance of working memory factors across age groups. Older adults (n = 141) and younger adults (n = 141) completed inference tasks and complex span tasks of three types (operation, reading, and symmetry). The multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis extracted four factors (Recall, Processing Accuracy, Processing Time, and general Fluid intelligence), as in earlier research, and revealed configural invariance across the age groups. However, the Processing Time factor showed different inter-factor correlations between younger and older adults. Results suggest that Processing Time played different roles in younger and older adults. The functional differences of the Processing Time factor in working memory across cognitive aging are discussed.