Children's Memory for Stressful Events

Children's memory for stressful events was investigated. Three- to 7-year-old children were videotaped while receiving venipuncture or inoculations as part of their health care at medical clinics. After delays of 2 to 3 days to as much as a year, the children's memory was tested. Correct free recall was not affected by age, but the ability to answer specific and misleading questions was age-related. Accurate face recognition was inconsistently associated with age. Children's memory was not affected by stress until a very high level of distress was reached. At that point, stress had a beneficial effect on free recall and resistance to suggestion. The findings are discussed in relation to children's memory for nonstressful events, theories of the effects of stress on memory, methodological issues involved in this type of research, and concerns about the accuracy of children's testimony in legal proceedings.