How to bet on a memory: Developmental linkages between subjective recollection and decision making

•We examine the contribution of subjective recollection to decision making.•Children could bet on the accuracy of their memories for the possibility of reward.•6-, 7-, 9- and 10-year-olds successfully monitor subjective recollection.•Only 9- to 10-year-olds and adults preferred to bet on items subjectively recollected.

The current study investigated the development of subjective recollection and its role in supporting decisions in 6- and 7-year-olds, 9- and 10-year-olds, and adults (N = 78). Participants encoded items and details about them. Later, they were asked to recognize the items, recall the details, and report on subjective feelings of recollection and familiarity for test items. Critically, they were required to select a subset of trials to be evaluated for the possibility of a reward. All age groups were more likely to report subjective recollection when they accurately recalled details, demonstrating an ability to introspect on subtle differences in subjective memory states, although 6- and 7-year-olds could do so reliably only for color details. However, only 9- and 10-year-olds and adults were more likely to select trials that were associated with subjective recollection, suggesting that a connection between this subjective experience and decision making emerges later during middle childhood.