Behavioral and Metamnemonic Indicators of Strategic Behaviors under Remember Instructions in First Grade

Abstract

SALATAS, HARRIET, and FLAVELL, JOHN H. Behavioral and Metamnemonic Indicators of Strategic Behaviors under Remember Instructions in First Grade. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1976, 47, 81-89. The distinction between perceiving and memorizing was investigated with first graders, using a free-recall paradigm. The use of strategic behaviors (looking more during study and categorizing during study) in response to remember instructions versus look instructions was examined. In addition, subjects were given repeated trials to assess the effects of practice, metamemory questions after the free-recall trials to assess the relationship between behavior and knowledge, and a retest 6 weeks later to determine which measures, behavioral or metamnemonic, would predict subsequent categorization. The remember subjects showed spontaneous categorization and subsequent superior recall, while looking time did not differ in the 2 instruction groups. Practice effects included increased recall over trials and a stable positive relationship between looking time and recall after trial 1. Correct answers on the metamemory questions about the facilitative effect of category grouping were frequent, but unrelated to previous categorization on the free-recall trials. Categorization increased on the retest and showed a significant positive relationship only to recall clustering 6 weeks earlier. Metamemory did not predict subsequent categorization.