1. Memory Development Psychology 3717

2. Introduction When you think of developmental questions, typically, you think of kids When you think of developmental questions, typically, you think of kids However, your memory changes throughout life, just as all your other psychological traits do However, your memory changes throughout life, just as all your other psychological traits do So we will talk about kids and adults So we will talk about kids and adults Development need not always mean improvement…. Development need not always mean improvement….

3. awwwww Even at birth you know and remember lots of stuff Even at birth you know and remember lots of stuff Your mother’s and maybe your father’s voice Your mother’s and maybe your father’s voice Babies will stare longer at face like stimuli Babies will stare longer at face like stimuli

4. Infantile amnesia Why? Why? Brain immaturity? Brain immaturity? Lack of linguistic development? Lack of linguistic development? Events can be remembered though, especially if they are big ones Events can be remembered though, especially if they are big ones

5. Things they can do Habituation paradigm Habituation paradigm Stimulus attributes Stimulus attributes Even concepts, abstract ones! Even concepts, abstract ones! Instrumental approaches Instrumental approaches Recognition improves with age Recognition improves with age Interference effects Interference effects Spacing effect Spacing effect cues cues

6. imitation Teach older kids, verbal ones, a new task Teach older kids, verbal ones, a new task Building something for example Building something for example Test retention Test retention Can go from simple to complex Can go from simple to complex Regular effects show up! Regular effects show up!

7. Memory for Spatial locations There are a lot of occasions where people that study animal cognition and those that study infant and toddler cognition have a lot in common There are a lot of occasions where people that study animal cognition and those that study infant and toddler cognition have a lot in common Both deal with subjects that have no way to directly tell you what they remember Both deal with subjects that have no way to directly tell you what they remember A good example of this is the work on toddler spatial memory based on Cheng’s work with rats A good example of this is the work on toddler spatial memory based on Cheng’s work with rats

8. Cheng (1986) He then applied featural information He then applied featural information walls walls corners corners The rats still made errors, though most of these were rotational errors The rats still made errors, though most of these were rotational errors He concluded that the rats were responding to the geometry of the box. He concluded that the rats were responding to the geometry of the box.

9. Hermer and Spelke (1994) Tried the Cheng task with toddlers and adults Tried the Cheng task with toddlers and adults Disoriented the subjects Disoriented the subjects Using a cue Using a cue Toddlers are not unlike rats Toddlers are not unlike rats Adults are different, seem to follow the cue Adults are different, seem to follow the cue Same in Pike (2001) Same in Pike (2001)

10. adulthood 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 (probably) which accounts for some semantic memory problems There is general cognitive slowing (probably) which accounts for some semantic memory problems Episodic memory declines too Episodic memory declines too Could be due to encoding (Simon’s work) Could be due to encoding (Simon’s work)

11. Inhibition deficit hypothesis More susceptible to interference More susceptible to interference Longer reading times Longer reading times More easily distracted using distractor tasks More easily distracted using distractor tasks Sustained activation of irrelevant material Sustained activation of irrelevant material In sum, it is probably a combination of overall cognitive slowing and a problem with inhibition In sum, it is probably a combination of overall cognitive slowing and a problem with inhibition

12. conclusions The development that happens with kids in amazing The development that happens with kids in amazing Functionally sensible that we don’t have too many episodic memories from preverbal times Functionally sensible that we don’t have too many episodic memories from preverbal times There is decline, but the impact of that decline can be lessened with coping skills There is decline, but the impact of that decline can be lessened with coping skills