Intention to Remember Spatial Location in Movement: Developmental considerations

Abstract

Using two experiments, we investigated the influence of age and intention to remember on the retention of spatial information about movement. In the first experiment, 86 subjects-6-year-olds, 10-year-olds, and adults-were asked to recall four positions that were presented on the linear slide. Age groups were randomly divided into intentional (IT) and incidental (IC) learn- ing conditions. IT subjects were instructed to remember the positions, whereas IC groups were not. In the second experiment, 120 subjects-7-year- olds, 11-year-olds, and adults-jogged to five positions on a symmetrical 12- sided area with a perimeter of 48 m. Within each age group, subjects were randomly assigned into four conditions: IT and IC groups that were com- posed of two levels-difficult and easy memory'load. Subjects had to recall where five different exercises were presented. In both experiments, accuracy of performance increased and variability decreased as age increased. Al- though there was no significant IT versus IC effect for accuracy of recall in either experiment, intent to remember reduced the variability of recall. The accuracy of spatial location appeared to be automatically encoded into mem- ory. However, intent to learn was important in reducing the variability of spa- tial response, a characteristic considered quite important to motor skill acquisition.