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Dissociations in infant memory: rethinking the development of implicit and explicit memory
1Department of Psychology, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903, USA. rovee@rci.rutgers.edu
Psychological Review
|July 1, 1997
Summary
Implicit and explicit memory develop similarly in infants, challenging the idea that conscious recollection defines explicit memory. This suggests a shared developmental timeline for different memory types.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Human memory systems
Background:
- The Jacksonian principle describes hierarchical function development and dissolution.
- Previous research inferred memory development hierarchies from amnesic adults.
- Implicit (procedural) memory is considered primitive, while explicit (declarative) memory matures later.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend the Jacksonian principle to memory development and dissolution.
- To investigate if very young infants show memory dissociations similar to amnesic adults.
- To challenge the defining role of conscious recollection in explicit memory.
Main Methods:
- Reviewing evidence from infant memory studies.
- Comparing infant memory performance with amnesic adult data.
- Analyzing memory dissociations across different independent variables.
Main Results:
- Very young infants exhibit memory dissociations analogous to those in amnesic adults.
- Implicit and explicit memory systems appear to follow the same developmental timetable.
- Evidence supports a shared developmental trajectory for different memory types.
Conclusions:
- The findings challenge the utility of conscious recollection as the sole defining characteristic of explicit memory.
- Implicit and explicit memory development are not as distinct as previously thought.
- Infant memory research provides critical insights into memory system maturation.