Age Differences and Modality Effects in Immediate and Final Free Recall

Abstract

DEMPSTER, FRANK N., and RoHWER, WILLIAM D., JR. Age Differences and Modality Effects in Immediate and Final Free Recall. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1983, 54, 30-41. This study investigated children's immediate and final free recall memory as a function of grade level-third, sixth, and ninth-and presentation modality-print, oral, and pictures-as a means of examining possible sources of age differences. It is generally believed that age differences in free recall are restricted to prerecency serial positions and are primarily a result of encoding processes. The present findings plus a reconsideration of previous studies suggest that there are also substantial age differences in the immediate recall of recency items and in the retention of orally presented and picture items in final recall. As to the sources of these differences, there was no evidence of an age-related increase in immediate memory span or in the tendency to recall final items first; either could have affected recency recall levels. There was some evidence that the retention differences resulted from factors other than degree of original learning.