Examining memory organization for an instance of a repeated event: The effects of retrieval cues on recognition in a reaction time paradigm

Research into repeat event memory in children is mixed as to whether one particular experience is retrievable in memory. While the application of script theory predictions would suggest an inability to consolidate memory for particular instances, fuzzy trace theory (FTT) would advocate the continued separation of memory traces representing each instance. These two theoretical conceptions led to divergent predictions in terms of the pattern of children’s memory errors and the organization of variable details. Part 1 of the present research investigated the pattern of children’s memory errors to determine whether children intrude from one particular dominant non-target instance, consistent with FTT, or randomly across all non-target instances, consistent with script theory. Part 2 examined the organization of details that varied across repeated stories using a computerized recognition memory task that cued responses based on detail categories or stories. Overall, results support a script theory conception of event memory in children.