Selective aspects of executive functions predict episodic retrieval processes in children and adults

• ¹ Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, United Kingdom

The ability of children to accurately retrieve memories for events they have experienced in the past has received considerable focus in the eyewitness memory literature. To date, however, limited research has investigated the relationship between children’s memory accuracy in relation to specific episodic retrieval processes, namely the ability to ‘recollect’ an event and merely finding an event ‘familiar’. Further, while it is well established that frontal lobe related executive functions support the engagement of retrieval processes in adults, limited research has investigated their relationship in children despite the well established knowledge that executive functions undergo substantial development during childhood. The present study investigated children’s engagement of the episodic retrieval processes of recollection and familiarity during the period of middle childhood. Forty-three children and adults (22 children aged 8-9 years and 21 adults) performed a behavioural episodic memory task involving three response judgements: (1) an Old/New recognition task, (2) a Remember/Know judgement, and (3) a Source Memory accuracy judgement. The Remember/Know task provided an index of familiarity alone (Know responses), and familiarity with recollection (Remember responses). All participants also performed a range of executive and non-executive (control) tasks from the CANTAB neuropsychological battery. Children perfomed less accurately on the episodic memory task, showing a lower hit rate than adults. Children were found to give fewer ‘Remember’ and more ‘Know’ responses than adults and showed reduced accuracy in source memory judgement. They were also less accurate on a range of aspects of executive functioning, including inhibitory responding, attentional flexibility, verbal and spatial working memory, strategy use and planning. Correlational analyses revealed that familiarity responding was significantly related to differential aspects of executive functioning in both children and adults. The proportion of Know responses was negatively related to attentional flexibility in children and negatively related to working memory, strategy, and planning in adults. The proportion of Remember responses and source memory accuracy was not related to any aspect of executive functioning in children but was positively related to working memory, strategy and planning performance in adults. The findings suggest that children rely more on familiarity in remembering past events than adults, and are less accurate in recollecting specific information about an event. The findings also suggest that age-related improvements in episodic memory may relate to specific underlying changes in frontal lobe related executive functions, most notably working memory, strategy use and planning.