The Development of Clustering in Children's Free Recall

• Applicants: Professorin Ute J. Bayen, Ph.D.; Dr. Martha Michalkiewicz
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology ; Developmental and Educational Psychology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 436554578

Improvements in memory performance across childhood are closely related to the development of memory strategies. Understanding the acquisition of memory strategies can help educators and parents to detect difficulties that children have and to create supporting learning environments. It is therefore essential to determine when and how memory strategies develop and to identify underlying cognitive processes. Clustering, that is, memorizing information in semantically related groups, is a highly useful memory strategy. Clustering involves several cognitive mechanisms that depend on semantic understanding, working memory, and processing speed. Middle childhood (ages 7 to 10 years) is an important transitional period: Children first show a mediation deficit (i.e., no strategy use) and then a production deficit (i.e., strategy use with help only) before they cluster spontaneously. To better understand this development, we propose in this project to measure the processes underlying children’s clustering in episodic free recall with a hierarchical multinomial processing tree model. This model, in contrast to widely used behavioral measures, offers process pure assessment of cluster encoding and retrieval, and in a preliminary study, revealed age differences in cluster encoding. In this project, we seek to answer three research questions: (1) Are age differences in clustering due to encoding and/or retrieval processes? (2) Do children first show a mediation deficit and later a production deficit in clustering processes? (3) Can age differences in clustering processes be explained by differences in semantic understanding, working memory, and processing speed? To answer these questions, we will perform a series of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies with 7-year-old children, 10-year-old children, and young adults. To investigate mediation versus production deficits, we will contrast experimental conditions in which children receive different types of support with clustering (e.g., instructions, tasks on semantic relations) and control conditions without support. A production deficit will be revealed if children cluster with help (only); a mediation deficit will be revealed if they do not cluster even with help. To investigate the influence of semantic understanding, working memory, and processing speed on the development of clustering processes, we will conduct a longitudinal study with two waves (at ages 7 and 10), and compare the results with those of our cross-sectional studies. In sum, this project will allow us to derive recommendations on how to foster the development of clustering (and potentially other strategies) in middle childhood and to thereby enhance children’s memory performance.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants