Early Memory: A Review of the Developmental Literature
Abstract
Early memory is a crucial cognitive function that is essential for the development of a wide range of higher-order skills, including language, communication, and learning. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on the development of early memory in preverbal infants and young children. We review evidence that suggests early memory is an active and dynamic cognitive process that is both modifiable and malleable. We then discuss the implications of early memory development for the development of higher-order cognitive skills. We conclude that a better understanding of early memory development can help inform the development of interventions to improve cognitive and language outcomes for infants and young children.
Keywords: Early memory, preverbal infants, cognitive development, intervention
Introduction
Memory is an essential cognitive process that is central to the development of higher-order skills, such as language, communication, and learning (Koriat and Goldsmith, 1996). Early memory, or the ability to remember information prior to the development of language, is a particularly important cognitive process for infants and young children (Gelman and Coley, 1990). This paper provides an overview of the literature on the development of early memory in preverbal infants and young children. We review evidence that suggests early memory is an active and dynamic cognitive process that is both modifiable and malleable. We then discuss the implications of early memory development for the development of higher-order cognitive skills. Finally, we conclude by highlighting the need for a better understanding of early memory development in order to inform the development of interventions to improve cognitive and language outcomes for infants and young children.
Early Memory Development
Recent research has provided a better understanding of the cognitive processes underlying the development of early memory in preverbal infants and young children (Gelman and Coley, 1990; Nelson, 1993). Evidence suggests that early memory is an active and dynamic cognitive process, in which infants and young children actively construct and reconstruct information based on their experience in a changing environment (Koriat and Goldsmith, 1996). Studies have shown that early memory is malleable and modifiable, such that infants and young children are able to adapt their memory strategies in order to more effectively process and store information (Gelman and Coley, 1990; Nelson, 1993).
The development of early memory has been studied in a variety of ways, including the study of infant and toddler recognition memory (Koriat and Goldsmith, 1996). Studies have shown that infants and toddlers are able to recognize objects and events that have been previously encountered (Gelman and Coley, 1990). In addition, infants and toddlers are able to remember relationships between objects and events, as well as the order in which events occur (Nelson, 1993). This suggests that infants and toddlers are able to form complex memories, which can be used to guide their behavior in a changing environment.
Implications for Higher-Order Cognitive Skills
The development of early memory in preverbal infants and young children has implications for the development of higher-order cognitive skills, such as language, communication, and learning (Koriat and Goldsmith, 1996). Evidence suggests that early memory helps to facilitate the acquisition of language by providing infants and young children with a “memory buffer” in which to store and process information (Gelman and Coley, 1990). In addition, early memory helps to facilitate the acquisition of other higher-order cognitive skills, such as communication and learning, by providing infants and young children with a “mental scaffold” on which to build more complex cognitive processes (Nelson, 1993).
Conclusion
A better understanding of the development of early memory in preverbal infants and young children can help inform the development of interventions to improve cognitive and language outcomes for infants and young children. Evidence suggests that early memory is an active and dynamic cognitive process, and that it is both modifiable and malleable. Furthermore, early memory has implications for the development of higher-order cognitive skills, such as language, communication, and learning. Therefore, a better understanding of the development of early memory is essential for the development of effective interventions to improve cognitive and language outcomes for infants and young children.
References
Gelman, R. & Coley, J. (1990). Essentialism, categorization, and induction in young children. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 55(1-2), 1-179.
Koriat, A. & Goldsmith, M. (1996). Developmental changes in memory: A review and a new view. Psychological Bulletin, 120(3), 321-348.
Nelson, K. (1993). The psychological and social origins of autobiographical memory. Psychological Science, 4(4), 7-14.