week 2: Memory development

week 2: Memory development

1. Rovee-Collier 1990- babies legs attached to a mobile over their heads, exploiting the few things babies can do - move their limbs

   • conditioned 3 month olds to kick to make the mobile move. Elicited the same response up to 2 weeks later = evidence of associative learning in infants

2. Learning can be specific - very colourful wall surrounding crib, varied colour of wall and memory was abolished. Associative learning is sensitive to irrelevant contexts

3. Recognition memory- implicit and explicit. Galvanic skin responses higher for those you implicitly recognise (no experience recognising them)

   • activity in infant visual cortex to either random or coherent stimuli. 2 infrared sensors to track the infants are paying attention and scan their eyes

4. HABITUATION: speed of habituation predicts later IQ

   • 1. Looking time is high to begin with then drops. 2. When presented a 2nd stimuli, their looking time increases again initially. 3. Can recognise stimuli as familiar or new.
     • How long do we have to wait until stimulus 1 is novel again?

5. FANTZ ET AL 1975 - 2 months old did look at pictures less that they were pre-exposed to 2 weeks prior. Shows implicit recognition, they don't know they'd seen it. Correlational evidence for implicit recognition in brain regions of adult and infant brains

6. INHIBITION - controls which allow you to control distractions/ interferences. Frontal brain regions, bubble painting >> children compelled to suck straws, must resist and learn to blow. Stroop task = demonstrates problems with adult inhibitory control. We read automatically which provides compelling distracting response

   • marhsmallow task - compelling to eat despite being promised a bigger reward.
   • inhibition is relevant for memory and cognition

7. Diamond 1994 - day/night task Picture of sun - night, moon - day. The rels between cognition and action. Performed on 3,5,7 yr olds. Age related development with steep change between 3.5 and 4.5. Continued improvement in accuracy up to age of 7. More accurate and less time to respond as older.