title: How do the different components of episodic memory develop? Role of executive functions and short-term feature-binding abilities.
abstract: This study investigated the development of all 3 components of episodic memory (EM), as defined by Tulving, namely, core factual content, spatial context, and temporal context. To this end, a novel, ecologically valid test was administered to 109 participants aged 4-16 years. Results showed that each EM component develops at a different rate. Ability to memorize factual content emerges early, whereas context retrieval abilities continue to improve until adolescence, due to persistent encoding difficulties (isolated by comparing results on free recall and recognition tasks). Exploration of links with other cognitive functions revealed that short-term feature-binding abilities contribute to all EM components, and executive functions to temporal and spatial context, although ability to memorize temporal context is predicted mainly by age.
authors.affiliation: University of Caen/Basse-Normandie, CHU Côte de Nacre, 14000 Caen, France. laurence.picard@gmail.com
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: Sidonie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cousin
authors.forename: Bérengère
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guillery-Girard
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eustache
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piolino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology