DELIBERATE VERSUS AUTOMATIC PROCESSING IN CHILDREN'S RECALL AND ORGANIZATION OF FAMILIAR INFORMATION

Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1983.
Summary: This experiment was designed to examine the development of organizational strategies during the course of children's recall. First, third, and fifth grade children were asked to recall the names of their classmates. Organization of recall was assessed with regard to structures in the classroom (e.g., seating arrangements, reading groups). To determine if awareness of strategy use increased over the course of recall, some children were asked metamemory questions after recalling only six names, others after recalling 12 names, and a third group after recalling as many names as possible. Analyses of interitem latency data, clustering, and metamemory responses suggest that the highly organized retrieval in class recall is mediated by the activation of automatic relationships and not by the use of deliberate organizational strategies. The various associative relationships between names lead children to switch between different modes of organization. This process results in well structured recall, without requiring any conscious awareness.