Property content guides children’s memory for social learning episodes

•Children use distinct encoding patterns for general and specific learning episodes.•Children use property content to guide the generality of their encoding.•Preschoolers recognize classes of properties as generalizable or non-generalizable.•Evidences differential encoding as a possible mechanism for correct generalization. How do children’s interpretations of the generality of learning episodes affect what they encode? In the present studies, we investigated the hypothesis that children encode distinct aspects of learning episodes containing generalizable and non-generalizable properties. Two studies with preschool (N=50) and young school-aged children (N=49) reveal that their encoding is contingent on the generalizability of the property they are learning. Children remembered generalizable properties (e.g., morphological or normative properties) more than non-generalizable properties (e.g., historical events or preferences). Conversely, they remembered category exemplars associated with non-generalizable properties more than category exemplars associated with generalizable properties. The findings highlight the utility of remembering distinct aspects of social learning episodes for children’s future generalization.