The effect of choice on memory across development

Abstract

Numerous studies have demonstrated the role of making choices as an internal motivator to improve performance, and recent studies in the domain of memory have focused on adults. To chart the developmental trend of the choice effect on memory, we conducted a series of seven experiments involving children, adolescents, and young adults. Participants (N = 512) aged 5 to 26 years performed a choice encoding task that manipulated the opportunities to choose and then took a memory test. Using different types of experimental materials and corroborated by a mini meta-analysis, we found that the choice effect on memory was significant in childhood and early adolescence but not significant in late adolescence and early adulthood. The developmental changes were statistically significant, particularly evident during the transition from early to late adolescence. These findings suggest that the internal value of choice decreases across development and contributes to our understanding of developmental differences in the role of choice in memory.