Memory Development Flashcards
infantile amnesia
the inability to remember events from early in one’s life
can infants form long-lasting memories?
yes
how is memory in infancy studied?
- conjugate reinforcement paradigm
- imitation paradigm
conjugate reinforcement paradigm
baby learns the association between kicking and mobile moving
- tests whether babies can retain the association
- after 9 mins of removing the ribbon, babies kick more to try and make the things move, showing they retain the memory
imitation paradigm
- make short, simple tasks and test whether babies can reproduce/imitate them
- help us understand how babies represents events
Why does infantile amnesia occur?
personal experiences from our earliest years usually can’t be recalled, because of inadequate language or inadequate sense of self
what factors affect memory functioning during childhood?
- precision
- memory strategies
what is the role of strategies in memory development?
activities that improve remembering: rehearsal, organization, elaboration
How does strategy use change with age?*
- as children grow, they use more effective strategies for remembering
- children’s growing factual knowledge of the world allows them to organize info more completely
What is the role of knowledge in memory development?
- organize info that is to be remembered
- it improves memory
- can distort memory by causing info that does not conform to their knowledge or to remember events that are part of their knowledge but that did not actually take place
In what instances would childrenshow better memory than adults?
if children had prior knowledge that helped them organize and give meaning to the patterns, and thus could recognize and then recall the whole configuration instead of many isolated pieces.
What is the role of metamemory in memory development?
the capacity to assess the accuracy of our memory, subjectively
What is the relation between metacognitive knowledge, and cognitive self-regulation?*
- metacognitive knowledge: a person’s knowledge and awareness of cognitive processes
- cognitive self regulation: skill at identifying goals, selecting effective strategies, and accurate monitoring
metamemory work
a person’s informal understanding of memory
-includes the ability to diagnose memory problems accurately and to monitor the effectiveness of memory strategies
How does metamemory influence effective and ineffective strategies?*
- if strategy works = effective and continue to use it
- if strategy doesn’t work = ineffective and start the process to find new strategy
How does metamemory change with age in younger children? (Hembacher & Ghett, 2014)
- 3 yr olds gave the same level of confidence regardless whether they were remembering something they experienced twice, once or a mistaken = they did not differentiate between their confidence
- 5 yr olds show strong difference btw a memory they had that was strong (object seen twice) vs a mistake= more confident when reporting an accurate memory vs a mistake
What are the brain structures/regions involved in memory development?*
hippocampus, frontal cortex
What is the role of precision with regards to memory development?
memories become more precise because children become better at retaining
autobiographical memory
a person’s memory of the significant events and experiences of his or her own life
autobiographical memory why is it important?
- helps people construct a personal life history
- allows people to relate their experiences to others, creating socially shared memories
how does a sense of self impact autobiographical memory
the self provides a personal timeline that anchor’s a child’s recall of the past (and anticipation of the future)
-contribute to the emergence of autobiographical memory
how can parents impact autobiographical memory
- parents talk about past events in detail
- encourage children to expand their description of past events by using open-ended questions.
