Development of self-derivation through memory integration and relations with world knowledge

Accumulating world knowledge is a major task. Self-derivation through integration seemingly is a valid model of the process. To test the model, we examined relations between generation and retention of new factual knowledge via self-derivation through integration and world knowledge as measured by standardized tests. Participants were 162 children ages 8-12 years (53% female; 6% Asian, 1% Arab, 15% Black, 66% White, 5% mixed race, 7% unreported; 9% Latinx). Age accounted for a maximum of 4% of variance in self-derivation and retention. In contrast, substantial individual variability related to general knowledge and content knowledge in several domains, explaining 20%-40% variance. The findings imply that individual variability in self-derivation has functional consequences for accumulation of semantic knowledge across the elementary-school years.