The development of infant memory

Journal/Book: Curr Directions Psychol Sci. 1999; 8: 40 West 20Th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA. Cambridge Univ Press. 80-85.

Abstract: Over the first year and a half of life, the duration of memory becomes progressively longer, the specificity of the cues required for recognition progressively decreases after short test delays, and the latency of priming progressively decreases to the adult level. The memory dissociations of very young infants on recognition and priming tasks, which presumable tap different memory systems, are also identical to those of adults. These parallels suggest that both emory systems are present very early in development instead of emerging hierarchically over the 1st year, as previously thought. Finally, even young infants an remember an event over the entire ''infantile amnesia'' period if they are periodically exposed to appropriate nonverbal reminders. In short, the same fundamental mechanisms appear to underlie memory processing in infants and adults.

Note: Article Rovee-Collier C, Rutgers State Univ, Dept Psychol, 152 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway,NJ 08854 USA

Keyword(s): recognition; priming; infantile amnesia; reminders

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