Age‐Related Changes in Spreading Activation During Infancy. Issue 2 (30th September 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Barr, Rachel; Walker, Joanne; Gross, Julien; Hayne, Harlene
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 85:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: 549
• Page End: 563
• Publication Date: 2013-09-30
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12163
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="cdev12163-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>The concept of spreading activation describes how retrieval of one memory cues retrieval of other memories that are associated with it. This study explored spreading activation in 6‐, 12‐, and 18‐month‐old infants. Infants (<italic>n</italic> = 144) learned two tasks within the same experimental session; one task, deferred imitation (DI), is typically remembered longer than the other task, visual recognition memory (VRM). At all ages, retrieval of the DI memory facilitated retrieval of the VRM memory, but the conditions under which this spreading activation occurred changed as a function of age. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the development of mnemonic networks during infancy and the value of studying infants for our understanding of memory more generally.</p> </abstract>