The Development of Encoding and Retrieval Strategies

Abstract

The overview of the literature on strategy development presented in this chapter shows that scientific interest in the role of strategies in memory development is still alive even though the focus has changed somewhat since the early days. Much of the early research in strategy development focused on the factors responsible for production deficiencies, the subsequent failure to transfer an acquired strategy to a new situation, and the ways in which children’s strategy effectiveness can be improved. Sufficient mental capacity and lack of domain-specific knowledge were partially responsible for production deficiencies in young children. Recent research also indicates that young children who try to employ memory strategies for the first time are at risk of experiencing a utilization deficiency such that strategy use is not accompanied by superior memory performance. Overall, the research literature suggests that domain knowledge, metamemory, motivation, and educational experiences can be viewed as mediators of children’s strategy use, which improves most rapidly over the elementary school years. Recent research also documents that the course of children’s strategy acquisition may be more complex and variable than previously assumed.