Evaluative meaning and taxonomic item dimensions were investigated with 80 second and 80 sixth graders. Logic from the adult memory literature was used to generate a task presumed to reflect differential encoding processes of children. Developmental differences were found in amount recalled and ability to profit from repeated exposures over time. Differential encoding processes were demonstrated for taxonomic item features across ages but not for evaluatively polarized words. Results were discussed in terms of organizational strategies employed and the need for more systematic efforts to estimate task variance.
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