Developmental origins of ordered memory recall tendencies

This preregistered study examined early transitions in children's spontaneous memory recall tendencies. Children aged 3 to 5 years (N = 72; 36 females; mostly White) were presented with a simple visuospatial memory task in which they freely recalled the locations of sequentially hidden targets across four test phases. We observed distinct age-related shifts in output order: younger children predominantly prioritized the most recently hidden target, whereas older children increasingly prioritized the earliest target (consistent with cumulative rehearsal). When one of three targets was externally marked, older children were also more likely to prioritize unmarked targets, suggesting an emerging ability to exploit external memory resources. Collectively, these findings point to an initial transition from reactive to proactive control over working memory during the preschool years.