DOES THE USE OF DOLLS FACILITATE CHILDRENS MEMORY OF VISITS TO THE DOCTOR

Age differences in children's recall of salient experiences have frequ ently been documented, but these findings have routinely been based on studies in which verbal interviews have been employed. Because verbal interview protocols may underestimate the memory of young children, t he purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of such a n interview with two alternative protocols that involved the use of a doll. Using these contrasting protocols, 3- and 5-year-old children we re asked to remember the details of a routine physical examination. Ne ither doll protocol facilitated 3-year-olds' recall of the features of the check-up. In contrast, 5-year-olds who were asked to demonstrate with a doll what happened in their examination showed enhanced recall. The inclusion of a doll had no effect on older or younger children's provision of elaborative detail about their visits to the doctor. Vari ous measures of individual differences (e.g. temperament, language ski ll) predicted some aspects of the children's recall and elaboration. T he findings are discussed in terms of the cognitive skills necessary f or effective use of dolls in the assessment process, and are related t o problems associated with interviewing young children who are involve d in legal proceedings.