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Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2016
The development of children's early memory skills
Catherine A Haden1, Peter A Ornstein, Barbara S O'Brien
1Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, USA. chaden@luc.edu
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|August 3, 2010
Summary
This study shows that language skills and memory abilities in young children are linked to their performance on imitation tasks. These cognitive skills develop and influence imitation abilities between 18 and 30 months of age.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Child Language Acquisition
Background:
- Early childhood cognitive development involves the interplay of language, working memory, and deliberate memory.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of these skills and their relation to imitation is crucial for identifying developmental milestones.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the concurrent associations between language, working memory, and deliberate memory skills and Elicited Imitation task performance in children aged 18, 24, and 30 months.
- To examine how these associations change across this developmental period.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study assessing 60 children at 18, 24, and 30 months of age.
- Utilized a multitask battery assessing nonverbal memory and language skills.
- Performance on the Elicited Imitation task was analyzed in relation to cognitive measures.
Main Results:
- Language ability predicted immediate Elicited Imitation performance by 24 months and delayed performance at all ages.
- Deliberate memory skills (searching and retrieving toys) were associated with immediate Elicited Imitation performance.
- Working memory positively correlated with both immediate and delayed Elicited Imitation performance across all assessed ages.
Conclusions:
- Language and memory skills are significant predictors of Elicited Imitation performance in early childhood.
- The relationship between cognitive skills and imitation abilities evolves between 18 and 30 months of age.
- Findings support and extend previous cross-sectional research on early cognitive development and imitation.
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