The effect of the knowledge base on the acquisition of memory strategies

Abstract

The dissertation explores the effect of the knowledge base on the acquisition of memory strategies. It is postulated that 'salient' categories - highly elaborated categorial structures in the knowledge base - facilitate memory performance so that elevated levels of clustering and recall, and an emergent organisational strategy, can be expected in young children's memory performance with such categories. Two multitrial, free-recall experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis. The first experiment analysed the memory performance of preschool children and adults on category type (salient versus nonsalient categories). The second experiment analysed the effect of category saliency on memory search processes. The experiments yielded evidence suggesting that highly salient items in the knowledge base are easily activated during the course of memory retrieval, resulting in enhanced levels of recall with such items, and the early manifestation of an organisational strategy.