The influence of positive and negative associations with age on memory through automatic and controlled processes was investigated in three experiments using Jacoby's (1991) process dissociation procedure. Experiments 1 and 2 (with younger people) demonstrated that negative associations with older people influenced recognition memory performance through automatic processes whereas positive associations influenced memory through controlled processes. Experiment 3 investigated the influence of age attitudes on memory in older adults. Again, negative associations through controlled processes. Methodological aspects and implications for motivational functions of attitudes and stereotyping are discussed.