Producing memory strategy maintenance and generalization by explicit or implicit training of memory knowledge

The effectiveness of training procedures focusing on the acquisition of memory knowledge was assessed with second-grade children from urban India. Following a pretest, children received instruction in specific strategy use (organization in free recall) or received such instruction either coupled with an explicit rationale for strategy use or as part of a training procedure that encouraged discovery of this rationale. On a subsequent post-test, both explicit and implicit training groups were superior to a practice control in recall performance, category organization during study and recall, and metamemory concerning organization as a strategy. Improvement over trials also was shown by the group that received instruction only on strategy use. On a later generalization trial, all three trained groups were superior to the practice control on measures of recall, category grouping during study, and metamemory knowledge. Some sex differences, favoring boys, were seen in response to training.