INSTRUCTING CHILDREN TO USE MEMORY STRATEGIES - EVIDENCE OF UTILIZATION DEFICIENCIES IN MEMORY TRAINING STUDIES

Utilization deficiencies occur when children experience little or no b enefit in task performance from the use of a strategy. Miller and Seie r (1994) found evidence for utilization deficiencies in over 90% of me mory studies that evaluated spontaneous strategy use in children. In t his article, we extend the concept of utilization deficiency to traini ng studies and review nearly 30 years of memory-training research. We identified three different types of utilization deficiencies and evalu ated 39 different studies with 76 separate conditions for evidence of utilization deficiencies (increases in strategy use with little or no corresponding increase in memory), production deficiencies (increases in both strategy use and memory performance), and unsuccessful trainin g (increases in neither strategy use nor memory performance). Over hal f of all training conditions showed evidence of at least one type of u tilization deficiency. Utilization deficiencies were more common for y ounger than older children and were more likely to be found when train ing involved multiple procedures (e.g., verbal instruction, rationale) rather than a single procedure (instruction only). The findings are d iscussed in terms of the need to broaden the concept of utilization de ficiency and to reevaluate the process of strategy development. (C) 19 97 Academic Press.