The effects of intervening experiences on children's memory for a physicalexamination

To examine the extent to which children's long-term retention is influenced (both positively and negatively) by intervening events, the impact of thre e programmed experiences on later recall of the details of a physical exami nation was explored. Four groups of 3- and 5-year-olds were established, wi th all children being interviewed immediately after their check-ups and the n again after 12 weeks. The groups, however, differed in terms of their exp eriences midway through the delay interval. At each age level, children in three experimental groups received either a complete interview about the ph ysical examination, a return visit to the pediatrician's office, or an oppo rtunity to view a videotape that showed a child receiving an actual check-u p. Children in a fourth group served as controls in that they were not seen during the delay period. Recall of standard features was scored, along wit h responses to questions concerning procedures that did not occur. The resu lts indicated mixed mnemonic effects for the differential intervening exper iences. In comparison to the control group, children at each age who had re ceived an additional interview or who had observed the videotape showed ele vated open-ended recall at the 12-week interview. In addition, the videotap e manipulation, as well as the return visit to the doctor's office, was ass ociated with a marked decrease in the 5- but not the 3-year-olds' accuracy regarding questions about activities not included in the physical examinati ons. The results are discussed in terms of factors that affect the: facilit ation and distortion of memory over long temporal delays. Copyright (C) 200 0 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.