The development of probability judgment is explained in terms of working memory, composed of four types of storage operations and three types of processing operations. Age changes in probability judgment were related to changes in frequency retrieval, which stem from changes in constraints on work-space capacity. (Author/RD)

Category theory concept of a commutative diagram was used to construct a model of the way in which symbolic processes are applied to problem solving. It was shown that several different levels of thought can be distinguished within the basic model. Two experiments testing the theory are reported. (Author/RD)

Presents a unified theoretical approach to children's false-memory reports that deals with both spontaneous and implanted reports. Details false recognition and misinformation models that allow researchers to determine the impact of identity judgment, nonidentity judgment, and similarity judgment in false memory reports. (LBT)

Notes that there has been far less mathematical modeling of children's memory than of adults' memory. Explores the flaw in fuzzy-trace model, and maintains that situations in which partial verbatim information is used along with partial gist information fall outside the boundary of this type of model. Suggests refining the concepts of and…

Notes that a multitude of studies have demonstrated that misleading postevent information affects people's memories. Contents that the fuzzy-trace theory is a positive step toward understanding the malleability of memory. Discusses fuzzy-trace theory in terms of three primary areas of study: altered response format, maximized misinformation…

Notes that spontaneous false memories are a routine part of everyday memory and more common than implanted false memory. Commends the fuzzy-trace theory for the separation and explanation of these two sources of inaccuracy. Demonstrates the theory's handling of three phenomena concerning the creation and maintenance of false memories. (LBT)

Notes that fuzzy-trace theory provides a link between indices of memory performance and the theoretical processes that underlie that performance. Author argues false memories can arise because of processes that normally affect forgetting. Maintains that, to the extent that memories lose their distinctive properties, such memories may become…

Suggests that fuzzy-trace theory may replace dominant metaphors of cognitive development. Discusses theoretical climate of the 1980s when the theory was first formulated. Describes how, by integrating new ideas about how cognitive development was viewed into a coherent framework, the theory slowly gained acceptance as critical aspects of it were…

The longitudinal interrelations among age, visual and auditory short-term memory, and the concrete operational tasks of class inclusion and combinatorial reasoning were investigated over four testing occasions in a sample of 134 students, initially ranging from 5 to 12 years in age. The Piagetian task battery involved placement of colored…

Comments that fuzzy-trace theory is broadly comprehensive and contains compelling experimental manipulations; debates assumptions of the theory. Describes aspects of the historical and theoretical context of the theory and its usefulness in organizing false memory phenomena. Suggests some limitations concerning the representation of child…

Describes the origins of fuzzy-trace theory, including Piagetian, interference, information-processing, and judgment and decision-making influences. Discusses similarities and differences between fuzzy-trace theory and other approaches to memory falsification. Considers the theory's predictions regarding age differences in memory falsification and…

This study examined effects of individual differences in speak-span scores and variations in memory demands on class-inclusion performance of 10-, 13-, and 15-year-olds. Results from regression analyses and the mathematical model indicated that differences in age, speak span, and memory load affected performance. Effects of speak span and memory…

Illustrates some of the analytic tools and conventions associated with the construction and evaluation of dynamic models of the processes underlying learning, memory, and development. Describes a study finding that children may exhibit slower disintegration of verbatim memory traces than adults due to interference; however, adults may be more…