Infantile Amnesia Across the Years: A 2-Year Follow-up of Children’s Earliest Memories

Peterson, Carole and Warren, Kelly L. (Kelly Lynn) and Short, Megan M. (Megan Marissa) (2011) Infantile Amnesia Across the Years: A 2-Year Follow-up of Children’s Earliest Memories. Child Development, 82 (4). pp. 1092-1105. ISSN 1467-8624

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Abstract

Although infantile amnesia has been investigated for many years in adults, only recently has it been investigated in children. This study was a 2-year follow-up and extension of an earlier study. Children (4–13 years old) were asked initially and 2 years later for their earliest 3 memories. At follow-up, their age at the time of these memories shifted to several months later, with younger children unlikely to provide the same memories. Moreover, when given cues about memories recalled 2 years previously, many were still not recalled. In contrast, older children were more likely to recall the same memories, and cues to former memories were successful. Thus, older children were becoming consistent in terms of recalling very early memories.

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