INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN CHILDRENS STRATEGIC BEHAVIORS - UTILIZATIONDEFICIENCIES

Children at a given age differ not only in their production of memory strategies but also in the effectiveness of their strategies (i.e., pa yoff for recall). In a utilization deficiency, a strategy has no effec t, a weak positive effect, or even a negative effect on recall. This a rticle discusses the nature of, and evidence for, individual differenc es in utilization deficiencies on memory tasks. It identifies both dev elopmentally- and nondevelopmentally-based sources of these difference s. Causes discussed here that are primarily developmental include info rmation-processing capacity, knowledge, strategy-integration, metamemo ry, and inhibition. Primarily nondevelopmental causes discussed are in telligence, gender, temperament, and motivation. A conceptual analysis of types of individual differences is followed by a discussion of unr esolved issues.