Development of memory for events

Abstract The development of event memory is examined here to determine how personally experienced events with two types of structure are reported by kindergartners and adults. Subjects participated individually in two standardized events involving making and playing with clay. The first was organized causally; the second, temporally. Descriptions of these events were examined in interviews conducted for some subjects immediately after the event and for all, a week later. The reports of both children and adults suggested use of a goal-based hierarchical structure to remember events, although use of the structure seemed more fragile for children than adults. The causal structure of the events influenced the amount of information reported. These results were discussed with respect to possible developmental paths in the formation of generalized event representations, or scripts.

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