Infantile Amnesia

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the concepts behind infantile amnesia, or the inability of adults to recall personal experiences from early life. The paper provides theories on early autobiographical memory and factors that influence the development of infantile amnesia. The paper also explains how experiences that lack verbal communication skills are forgotten as a child matures, while on the other hand, events that are verbally encoded are more vivid and long-lasting.

Outline:
Introduction
Infantile Amnesia
Bibliography

From the Paper:

"Developmentalists and psychologists have long mused over the mysteries of memory and its origins. Anecdotally, people have had accounts of childhood memories, some as early as being in the womb. Prenatal memories are thought to affect how infants behave as soon as they are born into this world: newborns are observed to have preference over sounds or lullabies their mothers have sung to them prior to their births. Mothers are easily recognized because of the familiarity of their voices. Psychologists contend that sexual desires and even violent behaviours are rooted on traumatic birth experiences. The residue of these early experiences is thought to influence one's actions, regardless if they cannot consciously recollect these memories."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cordon, I. M., Edelstein, R. S., Goodman, G. S., Alexander, K. W., Redlich, A. D., Jones, D. P. H., and Ghetti, S. (2006). "What can subjective forgetting tell use about memory for childhood trauma?" Memory and Cognition, 34(5): 1011-1025.
• Courage, M. L. and Howe, M. L. (2004). "Advances in early memory development research: insights about the dark side of the moon." Developmental Review, 24: 6-32.
• Hartman, D. and Zimberoff, D. (2002). "Memory access to our earliest influence." Journal of Heart Centered Therapies, 5(2): 3-63.
• Howe, M. L., and Courage, M. L. (2004a). "Demystifying the beginnings of memory." Developmental Review, 24: 1-5.
• Howe, M. L., Courage, M. L., and Edison, S. C. (2003). " When autobiographical memory begins." Developmental Review, 23: 471-494.

More papers on Infantile Amnesia:

• Research Paper # 50295 : "Retrograde Amnesia"
• Term Paper # 112011 : "Amnesia and Memory Retention"
• Essay # 70039 : "Amnesia"

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