Lecture 2 Autobiographical memory Flashcards
define autobiographical memory
specific, personal, and longlasting memory regarding the self
long lasting and imbued with meaning
define infantile amnesia
inability to remember events from the first 3 years of life - only remember younger events when attached to a strong emotion
what does infantile amnesia suggest
that there is something either qualtitativey or quantitatively different between an infants or an adults memory
what is a non specific memory
episodic
define recognition memory
doesnt involve effortful retrieval of infomation - realising that have previously encounted the information ie mcqs
define recall memory
retrieval of info that is not perceptually present and therefore requires effort
define qualitative difference
the way the information is encoded stored and recalled is differennt
define quantitative difference
the amount of memory held is different
how is recall tested in adults
object/word/digit recall where actively pull info from memory
testing recall in infants: delayed imitation study (Meltzoff and moore)
present atypical action and see if infant imitate - ability to recall complex action begins around 3months
group 1 watch and group 2 watch+imitate
why do infants imitate
Infants have a primitive ability to imitate those around them - allows to learn behaviours from other people as well as develop a greater understanding of others - ie recog similarities in behaviour with others
Results of meltzoff and moore imitation study
recall acts after delays of 2 and 4 months but significantly less than immediate - different in memory not qualitative and must be quantitive (not remember as well)
what is maternal speech
parents talk to child about past events from as young as 11/2 years
Why might maternal speech be beneficial for children
allows to develop personalised narrative of past events that gradually becomes more organised and detailed
define elaborative maternal speech
mother provide narrative structure for recalll
generate a discussion
volunteer own recollections and evaluation
ask child own views and feelings
ask varied questions about what remember
provide additional info and alows to recog own memory
define repetitive speech
repeat same question to child regardless of interest and without providing additional info
repeat same q until get desired response
describe hudson 1990 recog/recall memory and elab/repetitive speech
test recall memory in children with high or low elab mothers
both have good recall of recent events BUT voeral recall of past is worse in love elab
spontaneious offers of info without prompts to recall significantly greater for old memories in elab > repetitive mothers
elab - reinforce memory and increase level of detail
repetitive forget more about remote events
describe bost et al 2006 benefit of elab
expands memory
forms shared history - strengthens relationship between adult and infants
better organised and more elab memories
problem with hudson 1990
correlational relationship not causational - dont know if influenced by own development or specifically by parental influence
describe reese and newcombe 2007 longditudinal study of elaborative parents
elab training of parent - observe if affects accuracy and narrative quality of recall
test memory betwen 19m and 31/2 years
results of reese and newcombe 2007
children of trained mothers recalled and participated more in conversation, using more narrative description, actions and evaluations
right rates of accurate info and more action references if higher self awareness at start of the study
generalised parents reminiscing style to self
how might elaborative mothers be improving memory of infants
improvement in the development of schemas - help recognise commonly occuring and novel events
define schema confirmation
child focuses on the ypical aspects of a routine that not yet formed a schema for - pat attention to the repeate occurances to confirm schema of common events
define schema deployment
based on schema of what is typically occuring, identify what is atypical about a situation and recognise the deviations from the norm - info that is remembered is likely to be distinct and different
describe farrar and goodman 1992 schema learning
day 1 - child experience unusual episodic event or typical scripted event and is then interviewed
day 4- x3 scripted events then 1 unusual then interview
results of farrar and goodman 1992 schema learning DAY 1
day 1 -
4 year old no scema for event so dont recall much in either condition (schema confirm)
7 year olds greater experience of events so recall sig greater for unusual than typical (deploy)
results of farrar and goodman 1992 schema learning DAY 4
4 year recall less overall but more scripted events
7 year old recall more atypical events than scripted but less day 4 than day 1 - aspects of atypical become typical and therefore ignored
how is infantile amnesia a paradox
stage in infancy where most learning occurs and et cant recall
how does schema confirmation/deploment explain infantile amnesia
infants mostly in confirmation stage - focus on way the world works and therefore easily forget in later life as mostly general info
nelso 1995 alt explanation to infantile amnesia
hippocampal and prefrontal cortex development allows explicit memory system to develop - conscious awareness of events according to self
problem with nelson 1995 alt explanation of infantile amnesia
infant retention increase with training and therefore can engage in conscious recall - processing not fundamentally different from adults
describe josselyn and frankland 2012 hippocampal neurogenesis explanation of infantile amnesia
high hippocampal neurogenesis in infancy (new neurons integrate into hippocampal circuit and replace pre existing synaptic connections) promote memory degradation
what impedes infant ability to develop autobiographical memories
must first develop their sense of self image (2y/o) and be able to organise events narratively before they can construct and recall significant self memories
how are elaborative mothers thought to help improve childrens memory
help re establish and reorganise memory
recall more info about past events and more organised/detailed stories after 1-2 years
imporve episodic
create a shared history - close relationships and self understanding
schema confirmation/deployment and age
the stage that a person may be in during a typical or atypical event that determines what they recall is not determined by age but by experience - whether or not they deem something to be typical or not
- when first experience, everything is atypical so recall all
when become typical - only recall what diverts from norm/what expect
