Memory Development

Question 1

What are the components of the memory system?

Answer 1

1. Sensory memory
2. Short-term (working) memory
3. Long-term memory

Question 2

Describe short-term memory

Answer 2

•Short-term (working) memory: “Workspace” in which information from sensory memory and long-term memory is brought together and actively processed
–Can hold and operate on between 1 and 10 items (words, numbers, etc.) for periods ranging from a fraction of a second to about a minute
–Capacity of short-term memory increases greatly over the course of childhood and adolescence
-ex: integrating info from sensory memory, read word bird and coming with info from long term memory about that word


Question 3

Describe sensory memory

Answer 3

•Sensory memory: Fleeting retention of raw sensory input (sights, sounds); information is moved to short-term memory or is lost
–Can hold a small-to-moderate amount of information for a fraction of a second
–Capacity is relatively constant over much of development (same for 5 yr olds as for adults)
-ex: recognizing the word bird when reading

Question 4

Describe long term memory

Answer 4

•Long-term memory: Information retained on an enduring basis
–Can hold an unlimited amount of information for unlimited periods of time
•Includes memory for facts/knowledge and events/experiences
–Known as explicit or declarative memory (verbally encoded-described using words)
•Also includes memory for skills and procedures
–Known as implicit or procedural memory (based on motor patterns or perceptual abilities- hard to describe)
–Long-term memory also improves during childhood

Question 5

What factors are related to memory development in childhood?

Answer 5

• Memory strategies

- Content knowledge/expertise

Question 6

What is strategy use?

Answer 6

–As children get older, they are more likely to use memory strategies
•Use of memory strategies is associated with better memory performance
-behavior that the child engages in intentionally (we use strategies without knowing we are doing it)

Question 7

What are some specific memory strategies?

Answer 7

Selective attention, rehearsal, organization, and elaboration

Question 8

What is selective attention?

Answer 8

•Selective Attention: Intentionally focusing on the information that is most relevant to the current goal
–Ex: Show child objects from two categories (e.g., toy animals and household items) and tell him/her “You’ll need to remember the XXX”
•Children who are 7 or 8 attend only to the objects they need to remember (and their memory performance is better)
•Children who are 4 pay equal attention to the items in both categories (and their memory performance is worse)

Question 9

What is rehearsal?

Answer 9

Rehearsal: Repetition of information
•Typically examined by presenting children with a series of pictures of objects (or a series of words) and then asking them to “recall” as many as they can

Question 10

What are the two types of rehearsal?

Answer 10

–The spontaneous use of rehearsal emerges between 5 and 8 years of age
•But when children start to use rehearsal, they typically use single-item rehearsal (label each picture as it is presented)
–Cumulative rehearsal: Repetition of all items in a series each time a new item is added
•Cumulative rehearsal is more effective than single-item rehearsal
•Older children are more likely to use cumulative rehearsal spontaneously than are younger children

Question 11

What is cumulative rehearsal associated with?

Answer 11

Primacy effect- remembering the first item more

Question 12

What is organization

Answer 12

•Organization: Grouping items on the basis of similarity
–Typically examined by presenting pictures or words in multiple categories (e.g., food, animals, vehicles) in a random order and then asking children to “recall” them (free recall)
–By approximately 10-11 years, children tend to recall related items together (i.e., use organization, clustering)
–Use of organization is associated with better memory performance

Question 13

What is elaboration?

Answer 13

•Elaboration: Creating a meaningful relationship between two items (verbally or visually)
–Typically examined using the paired-associates procedure
•Two unrelated words are paired (e.g., bear-blanket)
–Test: One word is presented and participant must recall the other word in the pair
–Children rarely use elaboration spontaneously

Question 14

What does content knowlegde/expertise refer to?

Answer 14

•Content Knowledge (Expertise)
–Greater knowledge in a particular area may increase children’s ability to remember new information in that area because they can relate it to information they already know
–As children get older, they acquire greater knowledge/expertise in many areas
•Therefore, their memory should improve
–But how do we examine the specific relationship between content knowledge and memory ability?