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ERIC Number: EJ1330506
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0888-4080
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
What Is the Source of Preschool Children's Memories of Events from Their Own Lives?
Nicoladis, Elena; Svob, Connie; Smithson, Lisa
Applied Cognitive Psychology, v36 n2 p445-452 Mar-Apr 2022
In experimental tasks, preschool children sometimes mistakenly attribute memories to themselves rather than external sources, with decreasing source errors between 4- and 5-years of age. In this research, we tested whether these developmental changes are also observed in spontaneously generated memories of personal life events. 4- and 5-year olds generated life event memories and provided age estimates for when they took place. The children at both ages most often mentioned events that they could plausibly remember and some memories from external sources, including vicarious memories and events beyond their lifespan. Parents affirmed the accuracy of their children's memories and reported that some events were only told to or were imagined by the children. Our findings suggest that preschool children most often report events that they themselves remember and occasionally include events likely originating from external sources. These results add to the evidence showing that children's memories for events can be accurate.
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A