memory development psychology 3717. introduction when you think of developmental questions,...
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Memory DevelopmentMemory Development
Psychology 3717Psychology 3717
IntroductionIntroduction
When you think of developmental When you think of developmental questions, typically, you think of kidsquestions, typically, you think of kids
However, 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….
awwwwwawwwww
Even at birth you know and remember lots Even at birth you know and remember lots of stuffof stuff
Your mother’s and maybe your father’s Your mother’s and maybe your father’s voicevoice
Babies will stare longer at face like stimuliBabies will stare longer at face like stimuli
Infantile amnesiaInfantile amnesia
Why?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 do
Habituation paradigmHabituation paradigmStimulus attributesStimulus attributesEven concepts, abstract ones!Even concepts, abstract ones!
Instrumental approachesInstrumental approachesRecognition improves with ageRecognition improves with age Interference effectsInterference effectsSpacing effectSpacing effectcuescues
imitationimitation
Teach 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 locations
There 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 hypothesis
More 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
conclusionsconclusions
The development that happens with kids in The development that happens with kids in amazingamazing
Functionally 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