Visual and verbal processes involved in the development of picture-recognition skills

4-5-year-old, 6-7-year-old, and 8-9-year-old children were given picture-recognition tasks in which recognition stimuli were systematically varied with respect to familiarization stimuli. Subjects were required either to verbalize or remain silent during familiarization and to identify either central figure only or whole picture recognition. Results suggested that (a) young children base recognition primarily on central figure whereas older children are more likely to utilize the entire stimulus array, and (b) younger children are more likely than older children to use spoken labels as a basis for recognition when they verbalize during familiarization.