A developmental study of the recall of spatial location

Abstract

Recall of the spatial location of objects in 4-object arrays was studied with 5, 8, 12–13, and 18–23 yr-old subjects, using pictorial materials. Recall of location was good in the youngest subjects (about 50% correct of 40 objects), and improved with increasing age in much the same way as recall of item information. Presenting related objects in a common context induced a uniform “recall strategy” and led to much better recall at all age levels than presenting objects as unrelated items, but did not differentially improve location recall. A description of the recall test prior to learning improved both item and location recall in the oldest age groups when related, but not when unrelated objects were used. Instructions to attend to the location of objects did not affect location recall: intentional and incidental learning of location yielded similar results at all age levels.