title: Understanding and remembering: children's knowledge about the differential effects of strategy and task variables on comprehension and memorization.
abstract: Developmental changes in knowledge about the differences between the mental processes of comprehension and memory were investigated in 3 studies using first graders, third graders, and undergraduates as subjects. 2 types of knowledge were assessed: (a) knowledge about the types of strategies appropriate to achieving the goals of comprehension, memorization, or a combination of the 2; (b) knowledge about how different task variables differentially affect comprehension and memorization tasks. With respect to the former, only the 2 older groups showed some understanding of the differential effectiveness of rehearsal and word familiarity for memory versus comprehension and thus showed some understanding of the comprehension-memory distinction with respect to strategy knowledge. As for the latter, only undergraduates correctly differentiated between the 2 mental processes with respect to the task variables of list length, item familiarity, and the categorical organization of the items.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lovett
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Flavell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D003210:Concept Formation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D014706:Verbal Learning