Serial Recall among Adolescents in Abakaliki: Examining the Roles of Reproductive Maturity and Age

The study investigated the roles of reproductive maturity and age on serial recall. Eighty (80) senior secondary school students from a public community secondary school in Abakaliki participated in the study. Participants comprised younger and older adolescents within the ages of 11 – 13 years with a mean of 12.25 years, and 14 – 17 years with a mean age of 15.73 years, respectively. The design of the study is quasi-experimental; the participants responded under 4 independent conditions: younger participants with reproductive maturity and younger participants without reproductive maturity; older participants with reproductive maturity and older participants without reproductive maturity. Data analysis using 2 X 2 ANOVA (F-test) revealed significant influence of reproductive maturity; non-significant influence of age, and significant interaction of reproductive maturity and age on serial recall. The results were discussed in terms of their relevance in education and eye-witness testimony.