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T1 paper reports ith-ree experiments concerning methodological issues in studies on incidental learning Izerformanpe which use verbal and nonverbil procedures and whiat appear `to be `hampered by differedces in stimulus materials, learning opportunities, and dependent measures. The first study, using 128 children from grades 3, 5, 7, and 9, attempted to determine it' differences in developmental trendi,using paired associate andmemory tasks canbe attributed to methodological differences between the Thb second. study, utingli-20 children from the Same grades,, attempted 'to see .whether invariance in incidental performance -across agewith paired associate tasks is peculiar to a criterion levelof . intentional performavce.%The third study, using a sample of 80 children, examined whether.observed.developmental trends in inc -1 learning may be affected by the degree of difficulty of defined by memory load. Generallindings are, examinedto the decline in incidental,performance around 11 or 12 years re ated or to ,the nature of the intentional task, (2) to minimal arming conditions, (3) to zeratively unrelated intentional and incidental independent measures, and (4) to a moderately difficult or demanding intentional task. It is-suggestedqhat the decline .canbe eliminated by criterion levels of learning and, by use __----of a very easy intentional memory task. A viable theoretical /explanation for the decline isetliat at this age children focus on intentional material at the expense of incidental information.' * (GO), ***********7**************************************** ********** * Docum is acqVired.ty ERIC indtude many Amformal.unpublished * * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes.every effort * * .to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal .* * reproducibility are often encountered and this affeCts the quality * of the microfiche and harftcopy reprotictions ERIC makes available * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Sefiqce (EDRS). EDRS is_ not * responsible for the quality of the original document.Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. * *************************************t*********************************