Observational learning and the use of retrieval information during the second and third years

The authors report 2 cross-sectional studies dealing with observationally derived acquisition of serial and sequentially coordinated activities in children between 12 and 30 months. In Study 1, greater improvements in activity occurred at every age beyond 12 months for modeling than for control groups, demonstrating age-related advances in ability to use modeling in connection with these action classes. However, significant gains did not imply complete reconstruction from memory, which resulted most typically for fewer than 50% of children. Moreover, when sequential tasks were subdivided on the basis of task demands, somewhat greater observationally derived change was found for the class of constrained tasks than for free-standing tasks. Study 2 concentrated on serial task performance and the use of massive retrieval cues in the form of assembled stationary displays, to test the efficacy of such cues in helping children reproduce the serial activities they had observed. Again, children who witnessed modeling were better at reproducing serial assemblies than control-group children. The use of retrieval information, however, was noticeably lacking as late as 22 months, whereas substantial gains were made over the next 6 months. The outcome was supported by exploratory processing results for the 2 ages. Increased use of the cues by 28 months appears to reflect important developments in awareness of the uses to be made of retrieval information, as well as success in its utilization.