Are age differences in verbal learning related to interstimulus interval and education?

The present study investigated the effects of a narrow range of interstimulus intervals (ISI; 1, 2, or 3s) on word-learning performance in relation to age and education. Individuals (N=338) from four age groups (24 to 76 years) with low or high educational attainment were randomly assigned to one of three ISI conditions. Older age, lower education, and shorter ISI each led to lower performance. However, age differences in performance were not affected by ISI. Furthermore, lower educated individuals needed more time to achieve the same performance level as higher educated individuals.