The emergence and early development of autobiographical memory.

Abstract

The authors provide a new framework that integrates autobiographical memory with other early achievements (e.g., gesturing, language, concept formation). In this theory, the emergence and early development of autobiographical memory does not require the invocation of specialized neurological or multiple memory mechanisms but rather arises as a natural consequence of developments in related domains including in the "software" that drives general memory functioning. In particular, autobiographical memory emerges contemporaneously with the cognitive self, a knowledge structure whose features serve to organize memories of experiences that happened to "me." Because this cognitive self emerges in the 2nd year of life, the lower limit for early autobiographical memories is set at about 2 years, with subsequent accumulation of memories linked to improvements in children's ability to maintain information in storage.

Cites (11)

1. Connectionism and cognitive architecture: A critical analysis
   Fodor, Jerry A., Pylyshyn, Zenon W. · 1988 · Cognition
2. Implicit memory: History and current status.
   Schacter, Daniel L. · 1987 · Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
3. Search of associative memory
   Raaijmakers, Jeroen G., Shiffrin, Richard M. · 1981 · Psychological Review
4. Experience and brain development
   Greenough, William T., Black, James E., Wallace, Christopher S. · 1987 · Child Development
5. Mirror self-image reactions before age two
   Amsterdam, Beulah · 1972 · Developmental Psychobiology
6. Précis of Elements of episodic memory
   Tulving, Endel · 1984 · Behavioral and Brain Sciences
7. Maturational Changes in Cerebral Function in Infants Determined by 18 FDG Positron Emission Tomography
   Chugani, Harry T., Phelps, Michael E. · 1986 · Science
8. The Development of Self-Understanding from Infancy Through Adolescence
   Damon, William, Hart, Daniel · 1982 · Child Development
9. The Intermodal Representation of Speech in Infants
   Kuhl, Patricia K., Meltzoff, Andrew N. · 1984 · Infant Behavior and Development
10. Only tongue protrusion modeling is matched by neonates
    Anisfeld, Moshe · 1996 · Developmental Review

Show all 11 references

Cited by (24)

1. EEG alpha and theta oscillations reflect cognitive and memory performance: a review and analysis
   Klimesch, Wolfgang · 1999 · Brain Research Reviews
2. The construction of autobiographical memories in the self-memory system
   Conway, Martin A., Pleydell-Pearce, Christopher W. · 2000 · Psychological Review
3. The Psychology of Life Stories
   McAdams, Dan P. · 2001 · Review of General Psychology
4. Memory and the self☆
   Conway, Martin A. · 2005 · Journal of Memory and Language
5. The emergence of autobiographical memory: a social cultural developmental theory.
   Nelson, Katherine, Fivush, Robyn · 2004 · Psychological Review

See all 320