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TY - JOUR AU - May, Cynthia P. AU - Hasher, Lynn AU - Kane, Michael J. PY - 1999 DA - 1999/09/01 TI - The role of interference in memory span JO - Memory & Cognition SP - 759 EP - 767 VL - 27 IS - 5 AB - In two experiments, we investigated the possibility that susceptibility to proactive interference (PI) affects performance on memory span measures. We tested both younger and older adults (older adults were tested because of the suggestion that they are differentially susceptible to PI). We used two different span measures and manipulated testing procedures to reduce PI for these tasks. For older adults, span estimates increased with each PI-reducing manipulation; for younger adults, scores increased when multiple PI manipulations were combined or when PI-reducing manipulations were used in paradigms in which within-task PI was especially high. The findings suggest that PI critically influences span performance. We consider the possibility that interference-proneness may influence cognitive behaviors previously thought to be governed by capacity. SN - 1532-5946 UR - https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03198529 DO - 10.3758/BF03198529 ID - May1999 ER -