Final answer:
Semantic encoding is the term missing from the statement, which refers to the process of encoding words and their meanings. This method is more actively used by older adults for retrieval to offset memory issues, as it involves deeper processing and stronger memory traces.
Step-by-step explanation:
The blank in the statement can be filled with the term semantic encoding. Semantic encoding is more active during the encoding phase. However, as older adults may encounter memory problems, they begin to utilize semantic encoding more frequently for the retrieval of information. This compensates for difficulties they may have in memory retrieval. Semantic encoding refers to the input of words and their meanings, which involves a deeper level of processing and is linked to semantic memory—a type of declarative memory that concerns words, concepts, and language-based knowledge and facts.
As studies indicate, when older adults or those with memory problems use semantic encoding by relating new information to themselves (self-reference effect) or to existing knowledge, they can create stronger memory traces. Conducted experiments, such as those by researchers Craik and Tulving, have shown that words encoded semantically were better remembered than those encoded visually or acoustically. This illustrates the effectiveness of semantic encoding for enhancing memory retention in both verbal information and general cognition.