If their memories are, in fact, reproduced rather than reconstructed, output order should be more stable. Out put order was assessed by examining the position where details appeared in re-recalls. The order for details was more stable for older people than the output order for younger people. The memory of older people for common life events is much more stable than the memory of younger people. There are age-related differences in the structure of personal memory and in retrieval processes.
Older people produce initial details rapidly but then slow down.
The order of their details is more consistent. Younger people initially produce memories slower and the order is less consistent. The results of the present study suggest that personal memories are variable. When people re-call the same memory, the same details may not always be recalled. Older people recall memories in a more stable way than younger people do.