Processing Speed and Memory Development

University Of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to recall information over the long term emerges during the second half of the first year of life, but great variability in performance is seen on tasks assessing nonverbal declarative memory at this time. Speed of processing may be one factor capable of explaining why some infants evidence recall at this time whereas other infants do not. Specifically, fast processors (i.e., those infants who encode a stimulus rapidly and are able to differentiate that item from a similar item at a later time) may evidence better recall capabilities than those infants who are slower to encode information presented earlier. Study 1 will examine the role of processing speed in explaining the variance in the encoding and recall memory capabilities of 9- and 10- ninth-old infants. Study 2 will allow for an investigation of the development of recall abilities in a longitudinal sample of infants tested at 6, 7.5, and 9 months of age, As a result, concurrent and cross-lagged relations will be made between processing capabilities and recall memory, allowing for a more complete description of one mechanism that may allow for the obtained patterns of encoding and recall memory seen over the first year of life.