Memory DevelopmentMemory Development

Psychology 3717Psychology 3717

IntroductionIntroductionWhen you think of developmental When you think of developmental

questions, typically, you think of kidsquestions, typically, you think of kidsHowever, your memory changes However, your memory changes

throughout life, just as all your other throughout life, just as all your other psychological traits dopsychological traits do

So we will talk about kids and adultsSo we will talk about kids and adultsDevelopment need not always mean Development need not always mean

improvement….improvement….

awwwwwawwwwwEven at birth you know and remember lots Even at birth you know and remember lots

of stuffof stuffYour mother’s and maybe your father’s Your mother’s and maybe your father’s

voicevoiceBabies will stare longer at face like stimuliBabies will stare longer at face like stimuli

Infantile amnesiaInfantile amnesiaWhy?Why?Brain immaturity?Brain immaturity?Lack of linguistic development?Lack of linguistic development?Events can be remembered though, Events can be remembered though,

especially if they are big onesespecially if they are big ones

Things they can doThings they can doHabituation paradigmHabituation paradigm

Stimulus attributesStimulus attributesEven concepts, abstract ones!Even concepts, abstract ones!

Instrumental approachesInstrumental approachesRecognition improves with ageRecognition improves with age Interference effectsInterference effectsSpacing effectSpacing effectcuescues

imitationimitationTeach older kids, verbal ones, a new taskTeach older kids, verbal ones, a new taskBuilding something for exampleBuilding something for exampleTest retentionTest retentionCan go from simple to complexCan go from simple to complexRegular effects show up!Regular effects show up!

Memory for Spatial locationsMemory for Spatial locationsThere are a lot of occasions where people There are a lot of occasions where people

that study animal cognition and those that that study animal cognition and those that study infant and toddler cognition have a study infant and toddler cognition have a lot in commonlot in common

Both deal with subjects that have no way Both deal with subjects that have no way to directly tell you what they rememberto directly tell you what they remember

A good example of this is the work on A good example of this is the work on toddler spatial memory based on Cheng’s toddler spatial memory based on Cheng’s work with ratswork with rats

Cheng (1986)Cheng (1986) He then applied featural He then applied featural

informationinformation wallswalls cornerscorners

The rats still made errors, The rats still made errors, though most of these though most of these were rotational errorswere rotational errors

He concluded that the He concluded that the rats were responding to rats were responding to the geometry of the box.the geometry of the box.

Hermer and Spelke (1994)Hermer and Spelke (1994) Tried the Cheng task with Tried the Cheng task with

toddlers and adultstoddlers and adults Disoriented the subjectsDisoriented the subjects Using a cueUsing a cue Toddlers are not unlike Toddlers are not unlike

ratsrats Adults are different, seem Adults are different, seem

to follow the cueto follow the cue Same in Pike (2001)Same in Pike (2001)

adulthoodadulthood It is all downhill from here…It is all downhill from here…Hit your 70s, your brain shrinks…Hit your 70s, your brain shrinks…There is general cognitive slowing There is general cognitive slowing

(probably) which accounts for some (probably) which accounts for some semantic memory problemssemantic memory problems

Episodic memory declines tooEpisodic memory declines tooCould be due to encoding (Simon’s work)Could be due to encoding (Simon’s work)

Inhibition deficit hypothesisInhibition deficit hypothesisMore susceptible to interferenceMore susceptible to interferenceLonger reading timesLonger reading timesMore easily distracted using distractor More easily distracted using distractor

taskstasksSustained activation of irrelevant materialSustained activation of irrelevant material In sum, it is probably a combination of In sum, it is probably a combination of

overall cognitive slowing and a problem overall cognitive slowing and a problem with inhibitionwith inhibition

conclusionsconclusionsThe development that happens with kids in The development that happens with kids in

amazingamazingFunctionally sensible that we don’t have Functionally sensible that we don’t have

too many episodic memories from too many episodic memories from preverbal timespreverbal times

There is decline, but the impact of that There is decline, but the impact of that decline can be lessened with coping skills decline can be lessened with coping skills