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some of the more
interesting ones to be presented to the class anonymously for class discussion.
An interesting point of discussion here can be trying to find out if these are real memories
of an event, or “memories” that are based on hearing constant retellings of the event by
parents or siblings. Additionally, today you have the first generation of college students
who may also have “memories” of early childhood events that are really the product of
watching themselves on home video recordings.
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CHAPTER 8: MEMORY
SUPPLEMENTAL LECTURE MATERIAL
The Lost Memories of Early Childhood
You may want to begin a lecture by asking students to write a brief answer to the question “What is
your earliest memory from childhood?” People cannot recall autobiographical memories before
their third or fourth year, yet children have remarkable memories in other ways. A two-year-old can
remember where grandmother keeps the cookies even if she has not been to grandmother’s house
for a month. The ability of children to acquire language before the age of three also indicates
considerable memory capacity. Children also store and remember motor skills. If a child learns to
ride a tricycle before he is three, he will probably still be able to do it at 70. So why do we not
remember autobiographical information?