Poster #10 - The necessity of the explicit probe: Developmental differences in spontaneous integration

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Attention, Learning, Memory

Integrative Statement

How we learn and expand our knowledge base is integral to how we develop both as individuals and as a society. One important mechanism of knowledge expansion is self-derivation through memory integration (Bauer & Jackson, 2015). This process occurs when individuals integrate separate yet related episodes of new learning and self-derive new information not explicitly given. For example, in one episode, an individual learns the fact “The heart is the only muscle that never tires.” In a subsequent episode, they learn “The only muscle that never tires is powered by electricity.” When presented with the explicit probe, “What is the heart powered by?” the individual should be able to answer, “Electricity” even though this information was never explicitly taught. Successful self-derivation indicates successful integration (e.g., Bauer & San Souci, 2010). There are suggestions of developmental differences in reliance on an explicit probe to integrate: adults may spontaneously integrate whereas children may be dependent on an explicit probe (Varga & Bauer, 2017, 2013, respectively). In the present research, we directly examined possible developmental differences in spontaneous integration by using visual fixations as an implicit indicator of the cognitive effort associated with the process.

We designed an integration paradigm appropriate for an eye tracker, with which we can measure visual fixations. In this new paradigm, verbal information (example above), was accompanied by images that represented the fact (Figure 1, audio/image AB). After several intervening facts, the paired stimulus (BC) was presented. For the implicit test, we presented the “A” image from fact pair AB along with three images, one of which was the “C” image from the paired fact BC; the other two images were foils (A and C as prompt was counterbalanced). Importantly, in the implicit test phase, no audio was given. Spontaneous integration was evidenced by longer looking to the paired stimulus.

Among adults (N = 17; M age = 19.4; 12 females, target n =30), there is evidence of spontaneous integration (Figure 2, Panel A). That is, on trials on which they successfully self-derive, adults look longer at the paired image than at distracters. However, on trials on which they fail to self-derive, they do not (p=.07). In contrast, as illustrated in Figure 2, Panel B, 7- to 9-year-olds (N = 27; M Age= 9.11; 16 females, target n = 30) do not differentially fixate the paired stimuli on either successful or unsuccessful self-derivation trials.

The present research is the first direct test of spontaneous integration in children compared to adults. Findings thus far are consistent with the suggestion of developmental differences in this important step in the self-derivation process. Whereas adults seemingly integrated related stimuli at the time of encoding, children seemingly are dependent on an explicit prompt or probe. This implies that children may need different support than adults in order to self-derive new knowledge through memory integration. Future research will address the questions of when in development spontaneous integration begins to emerge, and the implications of this emergence for effective expansion of a knowledge base.

Authors

• Lucy Cronin-Golomb, Emory University
  Presenting Author

• Adna Jaganjac, Johns Hopkins University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Patricia Bauer, Emory University
  Non-Presenting Author