Age differences in generalization, memory specificity, and their overnight fate in childhood

Memory enables generalization to new situations, and memory specificity that preserves individual episodes. This study investigated generalization, memory specificity, and their overnight fate in 141 4‐ to 8‐year‐olds (computerized memory game; 71 females, tested 2020–2021 in Germany). The results r...

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Published inChild development Vol. 95; no. 4; pp. e270 - e286
Main Authors Buchberger, Elisa S., Joechner, Ann‐Kathrin, Ngo, Chi T., Lindenberger, Ulman, Werkle‐Bergner, Markus
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2024
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ISSN0009-3920
1467-8624
1467-8624
DOI10.1111/cdev.14089

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Summary:Memory enables generalization to new situations, and memory specificity that preserves individual episodes. This study investigated generalization, memory specificity, and their overnight fate in 141 4‐ to 8‐year‐olds (computerized memory game; 71 females, tested 2020–2021 in Germany). The results replicated age effects in generalization and memory specificity, and a contingency of generalization on object conceptual properties and interobject semantic proximity. Age effects were stronger in generalization than in memory specificity, and generalization was more closely linked to the explicit regularity knowledge in older than in younger children. After an overnight delay, older children retained more generalized and specific memories and showed greater gains but only in generalization. These findings reveal distinct age differences in generalization and memory specificity across childhood.
Bibliography:Elisa S. Buchberger and Ann‐Kathrin Joechner contributed equally to this work.
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ISSN:0009-3920
1467-8624
1467-8624
DOI:10.1111/cdev.14089