5.2 Information Processing and Memory Development

Babies' brains are like tiny computers, processing and storing information from birth. They start with basic memory systems, gradually developing the ability to hold onto and retrieve information as they grow.

As infants become toddlers, their attention spans grow and they learn through observation. They begin to show signs of both implicit memory (unconscious learning) and explicit memory (conscious recall), setting the stage for future cognitive development.

Memory Types and Processes

Information Processing and Memory Systems

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• Information processing theory proposes that the mind works like a computer, taking in information, processing it, and storing it for later retrieval
• Working memory is a limited capacity system that temporarily holds and manipulates information for cognitive tasks (mental math)
• Long-term memory is a vast store of information and skills that is relatively permanent and has an almost unlimited capacity (childhood memories)

Memory Processes

• Encoding is the process of converting information into a form that can be stored in memory
  • Infants and toddlers primarily use visual and auditory encoding
• Storage is the process of maintaining information in memory over time
  • Repeated exposure and rehearsal help transfer information from working memory to long-term memory
• Retrieval is the process of accessing stored information from memory
  • Young children often struggle with retrieval cues and strategies

Attention and Learning

Attention Development

• Attention span, the length of time a child can focus on a single task or stimulus, increases with age
  • Infants have very short attention spans (a few minutes), while toddlers can attend for longer periods (up to 20 minutes)
• Habituation is a decrease in response to a repeated stimulus, indicating that the infant has processed and learned about the stimulus
  • Habituation is used as a measure of infant cognition and learning (decreased looking time to familiar stimuli)

Observational Learning

• Deferred imitation is the ability to reproduce a previously observed behavior or action after a delay
  • Deferred imitation emerges around 6 months and becomes more sophisticated with age (imitating multi-step sequences)
  • Deferred imitation demonstrates memory for observed events and is a form of early learning

Implicit and Explicit Memory

Implicit Memory

• Implicit memory is a type of long-term memory that does not require conscious awareness for encoding or retrieval
• Infants and toddlers show evidence of implicit memory through behaviors such as habituation, conditioning, and skill learning (crawling, walking)
• Implicit memory develops early and is relatively stable throughout infancy and toddlerhood

Explicit Memory

• Explicit memory is a type of long-term memory that requires conscious awareness for encoding and retrieval
• Explicit memory includes semantic memory (facts and knowledge) and episodic memory (personal experiences)
• Explicit memory develops later than implicit memory, with rudimentary forms emerging in late infancy (recognizing familiar people and objects)
• Toddlers show significant improvements in explicit memory, particularly in the ability to recall and describe past events (talking about a birthday party)