The Role of Executive Functions in Item Recognition and Temporal Order Memory Development

ABSTRACT

Item recognition and temporal order memory follow different developmental trajectories during middle childhood, with item recognition performance stabilizing and temporal order memory performance continuing to improve. We investigated the potential unique role of individual executive functions on item recognition and temporal order memory during this critical developmental period. Our results replicate and expand on previous findings, suggesting that executive functions, specifically inhibitory control and working memory, may be more crucial for successful temporal order memory than for item recognition during middle childhood.

Acknowledgments

The content of this manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NICHD or the National Institutes of Health. We are grateful to the families who participated in our study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This research reported in this manuscript was supported by grant HD049878 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) awarded to the Martha Ann Bell.