Sex differences in the use of organization strategies: A developmental analysis

Abstract

Two experiments investigated sex differences in the use of organization strategies in free recall with categorizable and unrelated word lists across age. It was proposed that the use of memory strategies first develops under more favorable processing conditions and then generalizes. Accordingly, processing conditions were manipulated in both Experiment 1 (categorizable lists) and Experiment 2 (unrelated word lists). Males and females either received word lists presented with semantic orienting task instructions or with standard instructions in which they were asked only to listen to and remember the list materials. Results from Experiment 1 indicated that only females demonstrate significant levels of organization in first grade, and then only under the more favorable semantic processing conditions. In third grade both males and females show significant levels of organization, but only under semantic orienting task instructions. In fifth grade, females generalize the use of organization to the less favorable standard processing conditions. Results from Experiment 2 showed no use of organization for males or females in third grade with unrelated word lists, and significant levels of organization for females in fifth grade, but only under more favorable processing conditions. Sex differences were not only pronounced across the ages tested, but were consistent with principles of strategy development in general, with males showing a developmental lag in the use of organization strategies across age.