Dynamical systems model of embodied memory in early human infancy

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Developmental Psychology
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• Infants exhibit memory through behavioral changes in tasks like the mobile paradigm.
• Retention periods vary, with potential for longer recall with reminders.
• The precise mechanisms of infant memory retention and reactivation remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce dynamical systems models explaining infant memory formation.
• To elucidate the roles of movement control memory and agency-related memory.
• To unify experimental findings on early memory within a theoretical framework.

Main Methods:

• Development of dynamical systems models with two key dynamic properties.
• Simulation of memory creation, retention, decay, and reactivation.
• Comparison of model outputs with infant behavioral data from mobile, A-not-B, and habituation tasks.

Main Results:

• The models replicate memory formation through embodied internal dynamics from action-perception loops.
• A decaying memory of movement control is reactivated by a persistent agency-related memory.
• The dynamical systems approach unifies diverse infant memory phenomena.

Conclusions:

• Infant memory emerges as an embodied process, integrating brain, body, and environment.
• Memory maturation in early life is rooted in this embodied interaction.
• Dynamical systems provide a cohesive explanation for early memory development.