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Abstract
Childhood is a period of pronounced improvements in children's ability to remember connections between details of an event (i.e. binding ability). However, the mechanisms supporting these changes remain unclear. Prior evidence is mixed, with some proposing that improvements in the ability to identify previous connections (i.e. increases in hits) account for memory changes, whereas other evidence suggests changes are additionally supported by the ability to identify inaccurate connections (i.e. decreases in false alarms). To disentangle the role of each process, we investigated changes in hits and false alarms within the same paradigm. The present study of 200 4-to-8-year-old children (100 female) used a cohort sequential design to assess longitudinal change in binding ability. Developmental trajectories of d', hit, and false alarm rates were examined using latent growth analysis. Findings demonstrated non-linear improvements in children's binding ability from age 4-to-8-years. Improvements were differentially supported by hits and false alarms. Hit rates improved non-linearly from 4-to-8-years, with greater growth from 4-to-6-years. False alarm rates did not significantly change from 4-to-6-years, but significantly decreased from 6-to-8-years. Overall, findings show improvements in binding ability are predominantly supported by increased hit rates between 4-to-6-years and by both increasing hit rates and decreasing false alarms rates between 6-to-8-years. Together, these results suggest that binding development is non-linear and that mechanisms underlying improvements differ across childhood.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank members of the Neurocognitive Developmental Lab at the University of Maryland for their support in data collection. We would also like to thank the participants and their families for their cooperation and participation.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper
Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, T.R., upon reasonable request.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Tamara L. Allard
Tamara L. Allard is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Maryland studying Development Psychology with an emphasis in Neuro and Cognitive Sciences. Her research examinesmemory, sleep, and brain development across early childhood. She is also deeply committed to the creation of evidence-based policies.
Kelsey L. Canada
Dr. Kelsey L. Canada is a Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral fellow supported by NICHD working at Wayne State University. Her program of research examines normative hippocampal and memory development and the factors that modify healthy brain and cognitive development. She also specializes in structural equation modeling with a focus on longitudinal methods.
Morgan Botdorf
Dr. Morgan Botdorf is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research examines how early experiences of adversity impact memory and brain development in childhood. She also examines interventions which can reduce the impact of early adversity on educational outcomes.
Tracy Riggins
Dr. Tracy Riggins is an Associate Professor and the Principal Investigator for the Neurocognitive Development Laboratory at the University of Maryland. The goal of her research program is to provide better understanding of the neural bases of cognitive development, particularly in the domain of memory. The empirical research conducted in her laboratory uses a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging methodologies to investigate changes in memory, brain structure, and brain function.