VERACITY AND DURABILITY OF EARLY MEMORIES

描述：(改编自调查人员摘要)本研究计划 建议检查编码的记忆的准确性和持久性 出生后的头三年，并在保留时间间隔长达 两年后。这项拟议的研究旨在提供一个生态方面的 对在此期间发生的经验的记忆进行有效的经验测试 句号。6到36个月大的婴儿将被暴露在木偶中一段时间 周期为四周(每天5分钟，每周5天)。木偶将会有 几个内置功能，旨在允许以后测试内存 听觉、嗅觉和视觉特征：将有两只手套 为适合木偶的手而量身定做，一件(颜色A)永久附着，以及 另一种(颜色B)将是可拆卸的。可拆卸手套将包含 适合年龄的款待，这些将不断地重新插入到 给孩子戴手套，让他或她在四周内每天都能发现 熟悉木偶的时期。将会有一台迷你录音机 在木偶的脑袋里，每当它的鼻子响起一个陌生的旋律 是被挤压的。最后，木偶会散发出一股陌生的香味， 商业上买不到的香水。 从熟悉期后六个月开始，三分之一的 每个年龄段的婴儿和学步儿童的训练样本将与 对照组用于他们对木偶的回忆。剩下的两个 三分之一的样本将在12个月或24个月后进行测试。这 测试将遵循如下所述的队列顺序设计。

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.