Patricia L. Dropik

If memory serves, will language? Later verbal accessibility of early memories

Of major interest to those concerned with early mnemonic process and function is the question of whether early memories likely encoded without the benefit of language later are accessible to verbal report. In the context of a controlled laboratory study, we examined this question in children who were 16 and 20 months at the time of exposure to specific target events and who subsequently were tested for their memories of the events after a delay of either 6 or 12 months (at 22-32 months) and then again at 3 years. At the first delayed-recall test, children evidenced memory both nonverbally and verbally. Nonverbal mnemonic expression was related to age at the time of test; verbal mnemonic expression was related to verbal fluency at the time of test. At the second delayed-recall test, children evidenced continued accessibility of their early memories. Verbal mnemonic expression was related to previous mnemonic expression, both nonverbal and verbal, each of which contributed unique variance. The relevance of these findings on memory for controlled laboratory events for issues of memory for traumatic experiences is discussed.

Appendix A: Event Sequences Used

Presented here are descriptions of the three-step and four-step event sequences used in the present research. Materials necessary to produce the event sequences are included in parentheses.

Appendix B: Potential Effects on Children's Performance of Features of the Research Design

In addition to the variables of interest in this research (namely, age, delay, sequence type, mode of experience, and verbal reminders), childrens performance may have been affected by a number of features of the research design. This Appendix is a report of the results of analyses of three potential influences on the childrens performance. First, we examined the possibility that the particular experimenter who conducted the session might have affected the childrens performance. Second, we examined the possibility that conclusions regarding childrens recall of the event sequences were qualified by specific event sequence effects. Third, we examined the possibility that differences in the lengths of the child-controlled response periods might account for the patterns of effects observed. Although in each case some effects obtained, in no case did the findings present substantive qualifications to the major patterns described in the body of the text.

Appendix C: Potential Effects on Children's Performance of Child Language and Gender

In addition to the variables manipulated in this research, childrens performance may have been affected by individual and group differences among the participants. This Appendix is a report of analyses of two child variables that might have influenced their performance. First, to determine whether initial differences in facility with language by children in the different delay conditions may have influenced the patterns obtained, we compared childrens levels of productive vocabulary at the time of enrollment in the study. Second, we report analyses designed to determine whether there were any differences in performance associatedd with child gender. Although with regard to child gender, some effects obtained, in no case did the findings present substantive qualifications to the major patterns described in the body of the text.