Development of self-derivation through memory integration and relations with world knowledge.

Accumulating world knowledge is a major task of development and education. The productive process of self-derivation through memory integration seemingly is a valid model of the process. To test the model, we examined relations between generation and retention of new factual knowledge via self-derivation through integration and world knowledge as measured by standardised assessments. We also tested whether the productive process of self-derivation predicted world knowledge even when a measure of learning through direct instruction also was considered. Participants were 162 children ages 8-12 years (53% female; 15% Black, 6% Asian, 1% Arab, 66% White, 5% mixed race, 7% unreported; 1% Latinx). Age accounted for a maximum of 4% of variance in self-derivation and retention. In contrast, substantial individual variability related to general knowledge and content knowledge in several domains, explaining 20-40% variance. In each domain for which self-derivation performance was a unique predictor, it explained a nominally greater share of the variance than the measure of learning through direct instruction. The findings imply that individual variability in self-derivation has functional consequences for accumulation of semantic knowledge across the elementary-school years.

The influence of books' textual features and caregivers' extratextual talk on children's science learning in the context of shared book reading.

During early childhood, reading books with one's caregiver (shared book reading) is a valuable means of supporting learning. Yet, there are gaps in our understanding of the influence of shared book reading on young children's science learning. The current research bridges this gap by examining the pedagogical quality of science books in preschool-aged children's environments and investigating how such books influence children's learning and caregivers' extratextual talk during shared book reading. In Study 1, we coded 60 science books that were readily available in young children's environments within the United States. The books were designed for English speakers and recommended for preschool-aged children. We coded the books for the extent to which they were Coherent (elaborated on facts presented by providing details, examples, comparisons, etc.) and included Embedded Questions. However, many books were low in Cohesion and Embedded Questions and were of low pedagogical quality. In Study 2, we tested thirty-eight 4- to 5-year-old children (55% female, 76% White) and their caregivers in the Southeastern United States. We assessed the influence of books' levels of Cohesion and Embedded Questions and of caregivers' Elaborative extratextual talk during shared book reading on children's science learning. Children learned more from books high in Cohesion, irrespective of levels of Embedded Questions and caregivers' Elaborative Talk. Additionally, children learned more from books high in Embedded Questions when caregivers used more Elaborative Talk. This research highlights the importance that books' textual features and social interactions during shared book reading have in promoting early science learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-motivated and directed learning across the lifespan.

Self-motivated and directed learning is integral to knowledge base expansion for learners of all ages. Both motivational and cognitive processes drive self-motivated and directed lifelong learning, yet how these different processes operate together from childhood through adulthood is largely unknown. In this review, we discuss the role of personal motivators, such as beliefs in self-efficacy and personality traits in self-motivated and directed learning across the lifespan. We then consider the role of cognitive processes that contribute to knowledge base expansion in learners of all ages, specifically executive functions. We focus on working memory, inhibitory control, and task switching as potential determinants of lifelong learning. Finally, we integrate the two literatures, to discuss ways in which personal motivators may influence deployment of executive functions under self-motivated and directed conditions as a learner advances along a developmental trajectory. We also suggest ways to move the study of self-motivated and directed learning beyond observation and self-report measures thus affording experimental control. We aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding and novel insight to the mechanisms and processes of self-motivated and directed learning across the lifespan.

Support for learning under naturalistic conditions.

Educational opportunities occur through naturalistic everyday life experiences (e.g., reading a newspaper, listening to a podcast, or visiting a museum). Research primarily examines learning under controlled conditions, such as in a classroom or laboratory. There is relatively little known about the extent to which adults extract semantic content, beyond factual recall, from naturalistic educational experiences. In the present work, we focused on virtual museum exhibits. The materials were sourced directly from an art history museum. The naturalistic nature of this work stems from the type of content used though an important component of naturalistic learning-motivational processes-was not measured. In each of three experiments, we assessed adult learners' performance on tests of factual recall, inferential reasoning, and self-derivation through memory integration from naturalistic virtual museum exhibits. In anticipation of the potential challenge associated with learning outcomes under naturalistic conditions, we administered a yoked protocol under which participants had opportunities to engage in retrieval practice (Experiment 2a) or restudy (Experiment 2b) as explicit mechanisms of support for the three tests of learning. In all experiments, participants performed successfully on all three tests of learning; factual recall was the most accessible of the three learning outcomes. There was no difference in performance at the group level across experiments, but there was at the individual level, such that idea units generated during retrieval practice predicted learning outcomes, whereas restudy of those exact idea units did not. The current work provides novel insight into mechanisms underlying adult learning from naturalistic educational opportunities.

Developmental differences in reactivation underlying self-derivation of new knowledge through memory integration.

Self-derivation of novel facts through integration of memory content is fundamental to acquiring new knowledge and a means of building a semantic knowledge base. It involves combining memory content acquired across separate episodes of learning to generate new knowledge that was not explicitly taught in either episode. To self-derive, one needs to reactivate earlier learned memory content upon exposure to related content and then integrate the learning episodes. Previous research found developmental differences in the conditions under which integration occurs. Adults spontaneously integrate whereas 7- to 9-year-old children seemingly integrate only upon direct tests that verbally prompt for integration. Yet it is unclear whether children engage in the preliminary process of reactivation prior to the direct tests. To address this gap in the current research, we developed an eye-tracking paradigm and tested whether adults and 7- to 9-year-old children engage in the process of reactivation prior to direct tests. The direct tests verbally prompted for integration of memory content requiring self-derivation through both open-ended and forced-choice formats. Both adults and children engaged in reactivation prior to the direct tests. The extent of their reactivation predicted their performance on the direct tests. However, adults showed stronger evidence of reactivation and performed better than children on the direct tests. This work contributes to understandings of developmental differences in the underlying processes involved in the development of new knowledge.

Integration of memory content in adults and children: Developmental differences in task conditions and functional consequences.

How separate yet related episodes of experience are associated in memory is a major question in cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience. Adults and children both integrate content acquired in separate episodes, yet they may do so under different task conditions. Neuroimaging studies suggest that adults integrate the contents of separate memory traces at encoding and thus without an explicit prompt; behavioral studies suggest that children do so only when specifically prompted. In the present research, we developed a novel paradigm to test integration of memory content using eye-gaze in an indirect (unprompted) test and self-derivation of new factual knowledge based on related facts in direct (open-ended and forced-choice) tests. To permit use of color images to accompany the stimuli, we developed a procedure for equating color images on 23 low-level properties that otherwise might control eye-gaze behavior. We used the paradigm with adults (Experiment 1) and 7- to 9-year-old children (Experiment 2). Both groups succeeded on the direct tests. Among adults, unprompted integration of memory content (in the indirect test) was apparent and supported open-ended self-derivation (in the direct test). Across trials, children did not show evidence of unprompted integration of memory content and performance during the unprompted indirect test did not support open-ended self-derivation; longer looking to target versus foil images during the indirect test was related to direct test performance under forced-choice conditions, however. The patterns indicate that adults and children engage the process of integration of memory content under different task conditions, and that when integration processes take place without an explicit prompt they have different functional consequences for adults and children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).