Structural priming is supported by different components of nondeclarative memory: Evidence from priming across the lifespan.

Structural priming is the tendency to repeat syntactic structure across sentences and can be divided into short-term (prime to immediately following target) and long-term (across an experimental session) components. This study investigates how nondeclarative memory could support both the transient, short-term and the persistent, long-term structural priming effects commonly seen in the literature. We propose that these characteristics are supported by different subcomponents of nondeclarative memory: Perceptual and conceptual nondeclarative memory respectively. Previous studies have suggested that these subcomponents age differently, with only conceptual memory showing age-related decline. By investigating how different components of structural priming vary across the life span, we aim to elucidate how nondeclarative memory supports 2 seemingly different components of structural priming. In 167 participants ranging between 20 and 85 years old, we find no change in short-term priming magnitude and performance on perceptual tasks, whereas both long-term priming and conceptual memory vary with age. We suggest therefore that the 2 seemingly different components of structural priming are supported by different components of nondeclarative memory. These findings have important implications for theoretical accounts of structural priming. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).