Memory Development Theories: A Guide to Information Processing

1. Lecture Outline: Information Processing Theories • Common Features • Development of Memory • Types of Memory • Factors Influencing Memory Development • Basic Processes • Strategy Use • Content Knowledge

2. Information Processing Theories Common Features: • Cognitive development is viewed as continuous rather than discontinuous

3. Comparisons are drawn between information processing of computers and that of humans • Computer’s ability to process information is limited by its • Hardware (e.g., memory capacity, speed/efficiency of operations) • Software (e.g., strategies, information available) • Individuals’ thinking is limited by • Memory capacity • Speed/efficiency of thought processes • Availability of relevant strategies and knowledge

4. Development of Memory Types of Memory • Short-term (working) memory: “Workspace” in which information is actively processed • Can hold and operate on between 1 and 10 items (words, numbers, etc.) for up to a minute • Capacity and speed of operation increases greatly over the course of childhood and adolescence

5. Long-term memory: Information retained on an enduring basis • Can hold an unlimited amount of information for unlimited periods of time • Includes knowledge and skills • Long-term memory increases over the course of childhood and adolescence

6. What Factors Influence Memory Development? • Basic Processes • Simple, most frequently used mental activities • Exs: recognizing objects as familiar; recalling facts and procedures; generalizing from one instance/event to another; encoding

7. Encoding: Process of representing in memory information that draws attention or is considered important

9. Speed/efficiency of basic processes increases most rapidly during childhood but continues to increase through adolescence

10. Strategy Use • Strategy: A general plan or set of plans intended to achieve a goal

11. Specific Memory Strategies • Rehearsal: Repetition of information • Spontaneous use of this strategy emerges around age 5 • Repeat an item as it is presented • Younger children do not typically use cumulative rehearsal (repeating all items in a list each time a new item is added) • When younger children are instructed to use cumulative rehearsal, memory performance improves

12. Organization: Grouping items on the basis of similarity • By approximately 10-11 years, children tend to recall related items together • When younger children are instructed to use organization, memory performance improves

13. Elaboration: Creating a meaningful relationship between two items (verbally or visually) • Typically tested using paired-associates procedure • Two words are paired (e.g., bear-blanket) • Test: One word is presented and participant must recall other word • Children rarely use elaboration spontaneously • If instructed to use visual or verbal elaboration, memory performance improves

14. Content Knowledge • Greater knowledge increases children’s ability to remember new information because they can relate it to information they already know • When children know more about a topic than adults, their memory for new information about the topic is often better than that of adults • Ex: Chi (1978) • Tested memory for novel chessboard arrangements in child chess experts and novice adults

15. Scripts: A type of knowledge about how some type of everyday event usually goes • Ex: eating at a restaurant; grocery shopping