Childhood Memory

About 20% of the adult population, who have not suffered childhood trauma, have amnesia for their childhood. Researchers have shown that events experienced by a 12 month old, who cannot speak fluently, can be recalled months later. In addition, a two year old has the ability to retain facts about new experiences. Together studies showing these outcomes suggest that "semantic explicit memory is intact from a very early age."

Tustin, K., and Hayne, H. have shown through their research, that childhood amnesia is a factor of the passage of time, rather than an inability of children to store long term memories. More than 20% of the children in a recent study could recall events that occurred prior to 12 months of age. When adults, and adolescents were questioned their replies were limited to recall after the age of 3 years.

*The American Psychological Association's Stance on Childhood Memory

*The APA Reports: Some clinicians theorize that children understand and respond to trauma differently from adults. Some furthermore believe that childhood trauma may lead to problems in memory storage and retrieval. These clinicians believe that dissociation is a likely explanation for a memory that was forgotten and later recalled. Dissociation means that a memory is not actually lost, but is for some time unavailable for retrieval. That is, it's in memory storage, but cannot for some period of time actually be recalled. Some clinicians believe that severe forms of child sexual abuse are especially conducive to negative disturbances of memory such as dissociation or delayed memory. Many clinicians who work with trauma victims believe that this dissociation is a person's way of sheltering himself or herself from the pain of the memory. Many researchers argue, however, that there is little or no empirical support for such a theory.

See also: Memory

See also: Trauma Memory

See also: Amnesia

See also: American Psychological Association