Recall Accuracy in Children: Age vs. Conceptual Thinking

Abstract

The aim of this study was to replicate a previous experiment using a different stimulus event. The present study examined the relationship between age, development of conceptual thinking, and responses to free recall, suggestive and specific option-posing questions in children and adults. Sixty-three children (aged 7–14) and 30 adults took part in an experiment in which they first participated in a live staged event, then, a week later, were interviewed about the event and tested using the Word Meaning Structure Test. Age and level of conceptual thinking were positively correlated in children. Compared to age, conceptual thinking ability better predicted children's accurate free recall and inaccurate responses to specific option-posing questions, but not inaccurate responses to suggestive questions.

Short- and long-delay consolidation of memory accessibility and precision across childhood and young adulthood.

“…Related to this, Robertson and Köhler (2007) showed that in early and middle childhood, semantic competence predicted mnemonic performance even in tests that did not require direct access to semantic information. Furthermore, YC may benefit less from using embedded context through stories to aid recall due to immature strategy utilization compared to OC and YA (Bransford & Johnson, 1972; Murnikov & Kask, 2021; Shing et al, 2008).…”

Discernment of Children’s True and False Memory Reports: Police Officers and Laypersons

“…This aspect of children’s competence is frequently a topic of consideration in legal proceedings, particularly when preschool-aged children are involved (e.g., Lyon & Saywitz, 1999; Saywitz et al, 1999). Children’s cognitive ability is correlated with both age (e.g., Murnikov & Kask, 2021) and memory/suggestibility performance (e.g., Poole et al, 2014). Adults’ attitudes toward cognitive ability could independently influence how individuals perceive children’s capacity to respond to questions and resist suggestion.…”

Behavioral, neurological, and psychiatric frailty of autobiographical memory

“…Personality variables are, of course, a major factor, starting with age: Children are usually considered to be less reliable in their testifying (Contreras et al, 2021; Murnikov & Kask, 2021) and old or very old people may show eyewitness memory deteriorations as well (Zangrossi et al, 2020). Children are less versatile in their verbal expression capabilities and more focused on particular details, neglecting the overall picture.…”

“…• Factors inherent to the eyewitness producer (e.g., age, education) • Factors inherent in the eyewitness receiver (experience of the juror) • Factors related to the event [stressfulness of the event, environmental conditions, psychic conditions of the witness (e.g., mood), physical and physiological conditions of the witness (e.g., sharpness of the senses, intoxications)] • Time delay between witnessing the event and reproducing it • Duration and complexity of the event • General retrieval conditions (e.g., interrogation effects, misinformation effect) Personality variables are, of course, a major factor, starting with age: Children are usually considered to be less reliable in their testifying (Contreras et al, 2021;Murnikov & Kask, 2021) and old or very old people may show eyewitness memory deteriorations as well (Zangrossi et al, 2020). Children are less versatile in their verbal expression capabilities and more focused on particular details, neglecting the overall picture.…”