jim clark
Sat, 29 Sep 2001 17:02:34 -0700
Hi No references, sorry. Just some faint memories from long-ago lectures.
On Sat, 29 Sep 2001 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >What is the memory span of say a 2yr old child? And how does it increase > (amount/time) when the child gets older? For example if a infant's memory is > an hour long and a 2 yr old is a week. These are probably two separate effects. 1. Memory span is short-term memory. It does increase with age from 2-3 items at younger ages (how is that for precision) to the 7+-1 later. Perhaps this is related to increased fluency, as short-term memory does correlate with speed of speech. 2. The hour and week effects are long-term memory. I do not know at the young ages you cite. Later, when traditional paradigms can be used, there is again a robust increase in amount remembered with age. However, intermediate age children's performance can be improved with prompts to use certain aids (e.g., organization). Younger children need to actually have the aids presented to benefit. So, two processes appear to be involved: knowing the strategy, and executive control of the strategy. Best wishes Jim ============================================================================ James M. Clark (204) 786-9757 Department of Psychology (204) 774-4134 Fax University of Winnipeg 4L05D Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 [EMAIL PROTECTED] CANADA http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~clark ============================================================================