ABSTRACT
As ecological and cultural theorists have noted, developmental processes are best studied as a function of the rich, synergistic and interactive contextual factors that constitute children’s physical and social environments (e.g., Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Super & Harkness, 1986). The myriad processes involved in memory are a case in point. Despite a formidable history of memory research in psychology (e.g., Bartlett, 1932; Ebbinghaus, 1885), the specific parameters that determine encoding, retention and retrieval performance are still being explored across a variety of paradigms (e.g., Schacter, 1996; Wright & Loftus, 1998). A developmental perspective highlights the inherent complexity of these processes. In particular, considering how memory develops in the natural world underscores its essential relationship with a complex set of environmental features. As Ceci and Leichtman (1992) noted, “to think about memory without considering the contexts that lead children to remember is akin to thinking about smiles independently of the faces on which they appear” (p. 223).
