Skip to main content

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Cognitive Development ((2116))

Abstract

How is episodic information retrieved from memory? According to Tulving (1976) and others (cf. Reddy & Bellezza, 1983; Watkins, 1979), the retrieval process involves the contact of a cue with event information in memory. All successful retrieval is cued. The problem for young children is that they may not use retrieval cues effectively, and so many suffer from a retrieval deficit (cf. Brainerd, Howe, Kingma, & Brainerd, 1984; Chechile & Richman, 1982; Emmerich & Ackerman, 1978). In the present chapter, I explore the nature of children’s retrieval deficit. The focus is generally on retrieval from permanent memory rather the short-term memory retrieval discussed by Dempster in Chapter 6.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Ackerman, B. P. (1981). Encoding specificity in the recall of pictures and words in children and adults. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 31 ,193–211.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P. (1982). Retrieval variability: The inefficient use of retrieval cues by young children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 33 ,413–428.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P. (1983). Encoding distinctiveness and the encoding shift penalty in children and adults. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 36 ,257–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P. (1984,a). Item specific and relational encoding effects in children’s recall and recognition memory for words. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 37 ,426–450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P. (1984,b). Constraints on children’s use of cues to retrieve episodic information from memory. Manuscript submitted for publication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P. (in press,a). The effects of item specific and categorical orienting on children’s incidental and intentional memory for pictures and words. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P. (in press,b). Constraints on retrieval search for episodic information in children and adults. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P., & Hess, L. (1982). The effects of encoding distinctiveness on retrieval variability in children and adults. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 33, 465–474.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P., & Rathburn, J. (1984). Developmental differences in the use of retrieval cues to describe episodic information in memory. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 38 ,147–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P., & Rathburn, J. (in press). The effect of recognition experience on cued recall in children and adults. Child Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P., & Rust-Kahl, E. (1982). The effects of contrastive encoding of semantic information on children’s memory for words. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 34 ,414–434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. R. (1983). A spreading activation theory of memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 22 ,201–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. R., & Bower, G. H. (1972). Recognition and retrieval processes in free recall. Psychological Review, 79 ,97–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. R., & Bower, G. H. (1974). A propositional theory of recognition memory. Memory and Cognition, 2 ,406–412.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baddeley, A. D. (1982). Domains of recollection. Psychological Review, 89 ,708–729.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barsalou, L. W. (1982). Context-independent and context-dependent information in concepts. Memory and Cognition, 10 ,82–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Battig, W. F., & Montague, W. E. (1969). Category norms for verbal items in 56 categories: A replication and extension of the Connecticut category norms. Journal of Experimental Psychology Monographs, 80 ,3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjorklund, D. F., & de Marchena, M. R. (1984). Developmental shifts in the basis of organization in memory: The role of associative versus categorical relatedness in children’s free-recall. Child Development, 55 ,952–962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjorklund, D. F., & Thompson, B. E. (1983). Category typicality effects in children’s memory performance: Qualitative and quantitative differences in the processing of category information. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 35 ,329–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bower, G. H. (1967). A multicomponent theory of the memory trace. In K. W. Spence & J. T. Spence (Eds.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advance in research and theory (Vol. 1) New York. Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bower, G. H. (1970). Organizational factors in memory. Cognitive Psychology, 1 ,18–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brainerd, C. J., Howe, M. L., Kingma, J., & Brainerd, S. H. (1984). On the measurement of storage and retrieval contributions to memory development. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 37 ,478–499.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, A. L. (1975). The development of memory: Knowing, knowing about knowing, and knowing how to know. In H. W. Reese (Ed.), Advances in child development and behavior (Vol. 10). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J. (1976). Recall and recognition. London: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruce, D., & Fagan, R. L. (1970). More on the recognition and free recall of organized lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 85 ,153–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ceci, S. J., & Howe, M. J. A. (1978). Age-related differences in free recall as a function of retrieval flexibility. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 26 ,432–442.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chechile, R. A., & Richman, C. L. (1982). The interaction of semantic memory with storage and retrieval development. Developmental Review, 2 ,239–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craik, F. I. M. (1979). Human memory. Annual Review of Psychology, 30 ,63–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craik, F. I. M. (1981). Encoding and retrieval effects in human memory: A partial review. In J. Long & A. Baddeley (Eds.), Attention and performance IX. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craik, F. I. M., & Jacoby, L. L. (1979). Elaboration and distinctiveness in episodic memory. In L. G. Nilsson (Ed.), Perspectives on memory research. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craik, F. I. M., & Tulving, E. (1975). Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology. General, 104 ,268–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, P. (1973). Evidence for a developmental shift in the basis of memory organization. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 16 ,12–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dale, H. C. A. (1966). When recognition is no better than recall. Nature, 211 ,324.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Durso, F. T., & Johnson, M. K. (1979). Facilitation in naming and categorizing repeated pictures and words. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 5 ,449–459.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durso, F. T., & Johnson, M. K. (1980). The effects of orienting tasks on recognition, recall, and modality confusion of pictures and words. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19 ,416–429.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmerich, H. J., & Ackerman, B. P. (1978). Developmental differences in recall: Encoding or retrieval? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 25 ,514–525.

    Google Scholar 

  • Estes, W. K. (1959). The statistical approach to learning theory. In S. Koch (Ed.). Psychology: A study of a science (Vol. II). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flexser, A. J., & Tulving, E. (1978). Retrieval independence in recognition and recall. Psychological Review, 55 ,153–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, A., & Bourne, L. E. (1976). Encoding the levels of information in pictures and words. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 105 ,169–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardiner, J. M., & Tulving, E. (1980). Exceptions to recognition failure of recallable words. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19 ,194–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geis, M. F., & Hall, D. M. (1976). Encoding and incidental memory in children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 22 ,58–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geis, M. F., & Hall, D. M. (1978). Encoding and congruity in children’s incidental memory. Child Development, 49 ,857–861.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghatala, E. S., Carbonari, J. P., & Bobele, L. Z. (1980). Developmental changes in incidental memory as a function of processing level, congruity, and repetition. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 29 ,74–87.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ghatala, E. S., Carbonari, J. F., & Wylie, H. L. (1980). Attribute structure and incidental memory for words: Test of a developmental hypothesis. Child Develop mental, 51 ,685–690.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, J. W., Murphy, J., Humphreys, M. S., & Wilson, K. P. (1979). Children’s cued recall: Developmental differences in retrieval operations. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 21 ,501–511.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasher, L., & Clifton, D. A. (1974). A developmental study of attribute encoding in free recall. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 17 ,332–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, R. R., & Einstein, G. O. (1981). Relational and item-specific information in memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 20 ,497–514.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huttenlocher, J., & Lui, F. (1979). The semantic organization of some simple nouns and verbs. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 18 ,141–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby, L. L., & Craik, F. I. M. (1979). Effects of elaboration of processing at encoding and retrieval: Trace distinctiveness and recovery of initial context. In L. S. Cermak & F. I. W. Craik (Eds.), Levels of processing and human memory. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby, L. L., Craik, F. I. M., & Begg, I. (1979). Effects of decision difficulty on recognition and recall. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 18 ,585–600.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby, L. L., & Dallas, M. (1981). On the relationship between autobiographical memory and perceptual learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 3, 306–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby, L. L., & Witherspoon, D. (1982). Remembering without awareness. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 36 ,300–324.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, G. V. (1976). A fragmentation hypothesis of memory: Cued recall of pictures and of sequential position. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 105 ,277–293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kintsch, W. (1970a). Learning, memory and conceptual processes. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kintsch, W. (1970b). Models for free recall and recognition. In D. A. Norman (Ed.), Models of human memory. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasigawa, A. (1974). Utilization of retrieval cues by children in recall. Child Development, 45 ,127–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasigawa, A. (1977). Retrieval strategies in the development of memory. In R. V. Kail & J. W. Hagen (Eds.), Perspectives on the development of memory and cognition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lange, G. (1978). Organization-related processes in children’s recall. In P. A. Ornstein (Ed.), Memory development in children. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levoi, M. E., Ayton, P. J., Jonckheer, A. R., McClelland, A. G. R., & Rawles, R. E. (1983). Unidimensional memory traces: On the analysis of multiple cued recall. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 22 ,560–576.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liben, L. S. (1977). Memory in the context of cognitive development: The Piagetian approach. In R. V. Kail, & J. W. Hagen (Eds.), Perspectives on the development of memory and cognition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liben, L. S. (1981). Copying and remembering pictures in relation to subjects’ operative levels. Developmental Psychology, 17 ,357–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E., Miller, D., & Burns, H. (1978). Semantic integration of verbal information into a visual memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 4 ,19–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandler, G. (1967). Organization and memory. In K. W. Spence & J. J. Spence (Eds.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 1). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandler, G. (1979). Organization and repetition: Organizational principles with special reference to rote learning. In L. G. Nilsson (Ed.), Perspectives on memory research. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandler, J. M. (1983). Representation. In J. H. Flavell & E. M. Markman (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Cognitive development. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, E. (1975). Generation-recognition theory and the encoding specificity principle. Psychological Review, 82 ,150–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melkman, R., & Deutsch, C. (1977). Memory functioning as related to developmental changes in bases of organization. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 23 ,84–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melkman, R., Tversky, B., & Baratz, D. (1981). Developmental trends in the use of perceptual and conceptual attributes in grouping, clustering, and retrieval. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 31 ,470–486.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Melton, A. W. (1970). The situation with respect to the spacing of repetitions in memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 9 ,546–606

    Google Scholar 

  • Moely, B. E. (1977). Organizational factors in the development of memory. In R. V. Kail & J. W. Hagen (Eds.), Perspectives on the development of memory and cognition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris, C. D., Bransford, J. D., & Franks, J. J. (1977). Levels of processing versus transfer appropriate processing. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 16, 519–533.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers, N. A., & Perlmutter, M. (1978). Memory in the years from two to five. In P. A. Ornstein (Ed.), Memory development in children. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neely, J. H., & Balota, D. A. (1981). Test-expectancy and semantic organization effects in recall and recognition. Memory and Cognition, 9 ,283–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, D. L. (1979). Remembering pictures and words: Appearance, significance, and name. In L. S. Cermak & F. I. M. Craik (Eds.), Levels of processing and human memory. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, D. L., McEvoy, C. L., & Friedrich, M. A. (1982). Extralist cueing and retrieval inhibition. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory and Cognition, 8 ,89–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, K. E., & Kosslyn, S. (1975). Semantic retrieval in children and adults. Developmental Psychology, 11 ,807–813.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norman, D. A., & Bobrow, D. G. (1979). Descriptions: An intermediate stage in memory retrieval. Cognitive Psychology, 11 ,107–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owings, R. A., & Baumeister, A. A. (1979). Levels of processing, encoding strategies and memory development. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 28 ,100–118.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Perlmutter, M., & Lange, G. (1978). A developmental analysis of recall-recognition distinctions. In P. A. Ornstein (Ed.), Memory development in children. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pressley, M. (1982). Elaboration and memory development. Child Development, 53, 296–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pressley, M., & MacFadyen, J. (1983). Mnemonic mediator retrieval testing by preschool and kindergarten children. Child Development, 54 ,474–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raaijmakers, J. G. W., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1981). Search of associative memory. Psychological Review, 88 ,93–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabinowitz, M. & Mandler, J. M. (1983). Organization and information retrieval. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 9 ,430–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabinowitz, J. C., Mandler, G., & Barsalou, L. W. (1979). Generation-recognition as an auxiliary retrieval strategy. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 18, 57–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, B., & Bellezza, F. S. (1983). Encoding specificity in free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 9 ,167–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reese, H. W. (1977). Imagery and associative memory. In R. V. Kail & J. W. Hagen (Eds.), Perspectives on the development of memory and cognition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roediger, H. L., & Adelson, B. (1980). Semantic specificity in cued recall. Memory and Cognition, 8 ,65–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roediger, H. L., & Neely, J. H. (1982). Retrieval blocks in episodic and semantic memory. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 36 ,213–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sophian, C., & Hagen, J. W. (1978). Involuntary memory and the development of retrieval skills in young children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 26, 458–471.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sophian, C., & Stigler, J. W. (1981). Does recognition memory improve with age? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 32 ,343–353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spyropoulos, T., & Ceraso, J. (1977). Categorized and uncategorized attributes as recall cues: The phenomenon of limited access. Cognitive Psychology, 9 ,384–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein, B. S. (1977). The effects of cue-target uniqueness on cued-recall performance. Memory and Cognition ,5, 319–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, D. M., & Tulving, E. (1970). Associative encoding and retrieval: Weak and strong cues. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 86 ,255–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E. (1962). Subjective organization in free recall of unrelated words. Psychological Review, 69 ,344–354.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory. In E. Tulving & W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of memory. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E. (1976). Ecphoric processes in recall and recognition. In J. Brown (Ed.), Recall and recognition. London: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E. (1979). Relation between encoding specificity and levels of processing. In L. S. Cermak & F. I. M. Craik (Eds.), Levels of processing and human memory. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E. (1982). Synergistic energy in recall and recognition. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 36 ,130–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E. (1983). Elements of episodic memory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E., & Bower, G. H. (1974). The logic of memory representations. In G. H. Bower (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 8). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E., & Pearlstone, A. (1966). Availability versus accessibility of information in memory for words. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 5 ,381–391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E., & Thomson, D. M. (1971). Retrieval processes in recognition memory: Effects of associative context. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 87, 116–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E., & Thomson, D. M. (1973). Encoding specificity and retrieval processes in episodic memory. Psychological Review, 80 ,352–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E., & Watkins, M. J. (1975). Structure of memory traces. Psychological Review, 82, 261–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters, H. S., & Waters, E. (1976). Semantic processing in children’s free recall: Evidence for the importance of attentional factors and encoding variability. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 2 ,370–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters, H. S., & Waters, E. (1979). Semantic processing in children’s free recall: The effects of context and meaningfulness on encoding variability. Child Development, 50, 735–746.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, M. J. (1979). Engrams as cuegrams and forgetting as cue overload: A cueing approach to the structure of memory. In C. R. Puff (Ed.), Memory structure and organization. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, M. J., & Gardiner, J. M. (1979). An appreciation of generate-recognize theory of recall. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 18 ,687–704.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, M. J., & Tulving, E. (1975). Episodic memory: When recognition fails. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 104 ,25–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitney, P., & Kunen, S. (1983). Development of hierarchical conceptual relationships in children’s semantic memories. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 35, 278–293.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1985 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ackerman, B.P. (1985). Children’s Retrieval Deficit. In: Brainerd, C.J., Pressley, M. (eds) Basic Processes in Memory Development. Springer Series in Cognitive Development. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9541-6_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9541-6_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-9543-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-9541-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics