The Development of Short-Term and Incidental Memory: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

WAGNER, DANIEL A. The Development of Short-Term and Incidental Memory: A Crosscultural Study. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1974, 45, 389-396. 5 age groups (CA 7-9, 10-12, 1316, 20-21, ~ 27) of Ss were selected from 2 contrasting populations in urban and rural Yucatan. Whereas all urban Ss were in school, only the 2 younger rural age groups were in school--older rural Ss had little or no schooling. The Ss were tested on a short-term and incidental memory task. The developmental changes in memory performance of the urban-educated Ss were very similar to those reported for analogous tasks with American middle-class Ss. The performance of rural Ss did not show these consistent developmental changes. This fact, along with the results of several features of the data, support the hypothesis that formal schooling is an important factor in the development of mnemonic skills in short-term memory. Data from the incidental memory task implied that the development of selective attention is independent of short-term memory development and is probably influenced by both school and certain cultural factors.