Development of mental imagery strategy in a recall task as a function of word imageability and grade level in elementary school children

Objective This study investigated the development of mental imagery strategy in episodic memory as a function of word imageability and grade level in elementary school children. Method A total of 62 first-grade children, 61 third-grade children, and 60 fifth-grade children performed a free recall task involving high- and low-imageability words. A test of word memory was conducted using either a mental imagery strategy or a rehearsal strategy. Results The results showed that the benefit of the mental imagery strategy over the rehearsal condition was lower for first-graders than for third- or fifth-graders. Furthermore, word imageability influenced word recall to a greater extent in the mental imagery condition than in the rehearsal condition. Finally, the effect of word imageability did not interact with the children's age. Conclusion The findings are discussed in light of theories on the development of mental imagery and the cognitive processes underlying episodic memory.