Abstract
The ability of adults and children to recognize and name automobiles was compared with their competence at face recognition. Children, aged 7, 9, and 11 years, and adults (N = 198) observed pictures of 16 automobiles before trying to recognize them among 16 alternatives. One week later, they performed the same task with face stimuli. Performance improved with age on both tasks and was significantly better on faces for the adult and 11-year-old groups. Males were significantly superior to females at recognizing automobiles, whereas the trend was reversed for faces. Males were also more likely to be able to name automobiles correctly and to recognize them in an altered view. The results are interpreted in terms of knowledge and interest factors, enhanced recognition being mediated via the memory mechanisms of labeling and elaborated representation. The practical forensic implications and limitations of the current study are also discussed.
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The authors would like to thank Raph Gillett, Bill Williamson, David Mann, and John Ashworth for assistance in computing and statistics, and the staff and students of Swallowdale School, Melton Mowbray, and Whitehills School, Northampton.
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Davies, G., Robertson, N. Recognition memory for automobiles: A developmental study. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 31, 103–106 (1993). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334152
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334152