Recent work on adult metacognition indicates that although metacognitive monitoring often guides control operations, sometimes it follows control operations and is based on the feedback from them. Consistent with this view, in self-paced learning, judgments of learning (JOLs) made at the end of each study trial "decreased" with the amount of time…

Memory plasticity, or the ability to improve one's memory performance through instruction and training, is known to decline during adulthood. However, direct comparisons among middle childhood, adulthood, and old age are lacking. The authors examined memory plasticity in an age-comparative multisession training study. One hundred and eight…

Instructions were given to first and sixth graders to use an imagery-retrieval strategy in recalling 18 paired associates. (SS)

Developmental changes in preschool children's awareness of the relative effectiveness of four nonverbal strategies in a memory-for-location task were investigated. Fifty-two preschool children (12 three-year-olds, 20 four-year-olds, and 20 five-year-olds) made paired comparison judgments as to the mnemonic effectiveness of marking, touching,…

Two studies investigated memory processes involved in the Visual-Sequential Memory subtest of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities. In study 1, differences between second and fourth graders were due to greater use of stimulus labeling strategies by fourth graders. In study 2, labeling strategies were taught, improving performance.…

Attempted to determine whether 170 third and sixth graders would benefit from the simultaneous use of 2 mnemonic strategies. Findings suggest that categorical sorting and active rehearsal combine to facilitate recall performance. (RJC)

Investigated developmental differences in implicit memory performance. Subjects ranged in age from second grade to college level. Results suggested that there are two different components in implicit memory, one that shows no developmental difference and relies heavily on perceptual processing and one that shows an age-related or…

The nature of young children's inaccuracy in predicting their own memory performance was studied using categorical and unrelated material. Twenty-four children at each of four grade levels (kindergarten and grades two, four, and six) were presented with 18 cards bearing pictures of concrete nouns. Categorical pictures were presented on the right…

In addition to the important role of memory strategies in mediating age changes in recall performance, it is clear that the permanent memory system (or information available in the knowledge base) exerts a significant influence on the acquisition and retention of information. Age changes in memory performance will be fully understood only through…