Childhood amnesia

Childhood amnesia, also called infantile amnesia, is the inability of most adults to retrieve episodic memories (memories of situations or events) before the age of three to four years. It may also refer to the scarcity or fragmentation of memories recollected from early childhood, particularly occurring between the ages of 3 and 6. On average, this fragmented period wanes off at around 4.7 years.[1][2] Around 5–6 years of age in particular is thought to be when autobiographical memory seems to stabilize and be on par with adults.[3][4] The development of a cognitive self is also thought by some to have an effect on encoding and storing early memories.[5]

Some research has demonstrated that children can remember events from before the age of three, but that these memories may decline as children get older.[6][7][8] Psychologists differ in defining the onset of childhood amnesia. Some define it as the age from which a first memory can be retrieved. This is usually the third birthday, but it can range from three to four years in general.[9][10][11][12]

Changes in encoding, storage and retrieval of memories during early childhood are all important when considering childhood amnesia.[13]

  1. ^ "Childhood Amnesia - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
  2. ^ Robinson-Riegler B, Robinson-Riegler G (2012). Cognitive Psychology: Applying the Science of the Mind (Third ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. as Allyn & Bacon. pp. 272–276, 295–296, 339–346. ISBN 978-0-205-17674-8.
  3. ^ Nelson, K.; Fivush, R. (2004). "The emergence of autobiographical memory: A social cultural developmental theory". Psychological Review. 111 (2): 486–511. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.111.2.486. PMID 15065919. S2CID 18912310.
  4. ^ Hayne, Harlene; Jack, Fiona (2011). "Childhood amnesia". WIREs Cognitive Science. 2 (2): 136–145. doi:10.1002/wcs.107. PMID 26302005.
  5. ^ Howe ML (31 March 2015). "Memory Development". In Lerner RM, Overton WF, Molenaar PC (eds.). Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science, Cognitive Processes. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118953846 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Fivush R, Schwarzmueller A (1999). "Children remember childhood: implications for childhood amnesia". Applied Cognitive Psychology. 12 (5): 455–473. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-0720(199810)12:5<455::AID-ACP534>3.0.CO;2-H.
  7. ^ Clevelend E, Reese E (2008). "Children remember early childhood: Long-term recall across the offset of childhood amnesia". Applied Cognitive Psychology. 22 (1): 127–142. doi:10.1002/acp.1359.
  8. ^ Tustin K, Hayne H (September 2010). "Defining the boundary: age-related changes in childhood amnesia". Developmental Psychology. 46 (5): 1049–1061. doi:10.1037/a0020105. PMID 20822222.
  9. ^ Joseph R (2003). "Emotional Trauma and Childhood Amnesia". Consciousness & Emotion. 4 (2): 151–179. doi:10.1075/ce.4.2.02jos.
  10. ^ Eacott MJ (April 1999). "Memory for the Events of Early Childhood" (PDF). Current Directions in Psychological Science. 8 (2): 46–48. doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00011. S2CID 17155352. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-06. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  11. ^ Fiona J, Harlene H (18 July 2007). "Eliciting adults' earliest memories: Does it matter how we ask the question?". Memory. 15 (6): 647–663. doi:10.1080/09658210701467087. PMID 17654279. S2CID 5775522.
  12. ^ Bauer PJ, Larkina M (April 2014). "Childhood amnesia in the making: different distributions of autobiographical memories in children and adults". Journal of Experimental Psychology. General. 143 (2): 597–611. doi:10.1037/a0033307. PMID 23937179.
  13. ^ Hayne H (2004). "Infant memory development: Implications for childhood amnesia". Developmental Review. 24: 33–73. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.132.3284. doi:10.1016/j.dr.2003.09.007.