Dr. Barr at New York University gave a lecture on memory in which he showed the results of a survey of memory perceptions by 946 healthy adults ranging between 18-92.
76% of this normal, non-clinical sample thought they have memory problems, albeit only 26% characterized them as “real problems,” and only 1% as “serious problems.” But see the details:
39% said others find them forgetful.
26% said they occasionally forget the names of family members and friends.
61% said they forget where things were left.
57% use notes to avoid forgetting things.
46% have occasional difficulty remembering a word, or frustrating “Tip-Of the-Tongue.”
37% believe they think more slowly than they used to.
40% sometimes have confused thoughts.
49% consider themselves to have concentration problems.