The Dynamics of Free Recall and Their Relation to Rehearsal Between 8 and 10 Years of Age

Abstract

The present study longitudinally examined changes in recall in children between the ages of 8 and 10 years. Given the increasingly sophisticated use of memory strategies during this developmental period, correspondences between study and recall dynamics were of particular interest. Seventy-six children performed free-recall tasks on 5 occasions over a 2-year period. Video and audio analyses revealed that children tended to recall items successively from nearby serial positions. This so-called lag-recency effect was particularly pronounced when items from nearby serial positions were conjunctly rehearsed during study. Implications for understanding study-recall correspondences are discussed in relation to other developmental changes of this period including memory capacity.