Memory for Stories in Learning Disabled Adults

Memory for narrative materials in learning disabled adults was assessed using stories constructed according to Mandler and Johnson's (1977) story grammar. Experiment I showed that LD adults and normal third graders recalled significantly less than university adults; sixth graders and community college adults were intermediate. The pattern of recall of story nodes, however, did not suggest a structural-organizational deficit in long-term memory, and there were no qualitative differences between the LD group and other groups. In experiment II a repetition group read the stimulus stories three trials successively. A construction group received a brief explanation of the story grammar after which subjects actively constructed the stimulus stories. Contrary to expectations, training in structural analysis did not strengthen the links among individual story elements; the construction group performed as poorly as a standard single-presentation group. Simple repetition, on the other hand, was extremely effective for improving story recall. The results of the two experiments were discussed in the context of proposed short-term memory encoding limitations in learning disabilities.