The development of automatic associative processes and children’s false memories

Wimmer, Marina C.; Howe, Mark L.

Abstract

We investigated children’s ability to generate associations and how automaticity of associative activation unfolds developmentally. Children generated associative responses using a single associate paradigm (Experiment 1) or a Deese/Roediger–McDermott (DRM)-like multiple associates paradigm (Experiment 2). The results indicated that children’s ability to generate meaningful word associates, and the automaticity with which they were generated, increased between 5, 7, and 11 years of age. These findings suggest that children’s domain-specific knowledge base and the associative connections among related concepts are present and continue to develop from a very early age. Moreover, there is an increase in how these concepts are automatically activated with age, something that results from domain-general developments in speed of processing. These changes are consistent with the neurodevelopmental literature and together may provide a more complete explanation of the development of memory illusions.

Citation

Wimmer, M. C., & Howe, M. L. (2009). The development of automatic associative processes and children’s false memories. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 104(4), 447-465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2009.07.006

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Sep 10, 2009
• Publication Date: 2009-12
• Deposit Date: May 11, 2020
• Journal: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0022-0965
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 104
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 447-465
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2009.07.006
• Keywords: Implicit associative responses, Automatic processes, False memory development, Associative activation theory, Source monitoring, DRM paradigm
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2657080