Implicit sequence learning in children.

The main purpose of the present study was to examine whether implicit learning abilities, assessed by means of a serial reaction time task, are present to the same extent in 6- and 10-year-old children as in adults. We also wondered whether the knowledge acquired after one learning session is retained after a 1-week delay. And finally, we studied the explicit knowledge developed by the children in this task. Our results show no age-related difference in the serial reaction time performance, which is consistent with the idea that implicit learning abilities may be efficient early in development. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.