VERACITY AND DURABILITY OF EARLY MEMORIES

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DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from investigator's abstract) This research program proposes to examine the veracity and durability of memories encoded during the first three years after birth and tested over retention intervals up to two years later. The proposed study intends to provide an ecologically valid empirical test of memory for experiences occurring during this period. Infants from 6 to 36 months will be exposed to a puppet for a period of four weeks (5 min/day, 5 days/week). The puppet will have several built-in features designed to permit later tests of memory for auditory, olfactory, and visual characteristics: two mittens will be tailored to fit the puppet's hands, one (color A) attached permanently, and the other (color B) will be removable. The removable mitten will contain age-appropriate treats and these will be continually reinserted into the mitten for the child to discover every day during his or her 4-week familiarization period with the puppet. A mini recorder will be located within the puppet's head that plays an unfamiliar melody each time its nose is squeezed. Finally, the puppet will be fragranced with an unfamiliar, commercially unavailable scent. Beginning six months after the familiarization period one third of the trained sample of infants and toddlers at each age will be compared to a control group for their recollections of the puppet. The remaining two thirds of the sample will be tested either 12 or 24 months later. This testing will follow a cohort sequential design that is described below.