90

This study examines the involvement of several executive and non-executive cognitive variables in the short-term retention of words in elderly participants. Various recall conditions were examined: these facilitated (or not) the use of long-term memory representations. The organization of the to-be-recalled lists was similar (or not) to that existing in long-term memory; the participants were required (or not) to retain the order of the information. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the effect of the target cognitive variables and the organization of lists on word retention in free and serial recall. The results showed that among the considered cognitive variables, 1. the two executive abilities studied (selective attention and long-term memory access) and articulatory speed were both involved in a specific way in short-term retention of words, depending on the task’s characteristics, and 2. the extent of vocabulary knowledge determined short-term memory performance in all conditions.