Yale Study on Infant Memory Formation Published

Researchers at Yale University have challenged long-held beliefs about infant memory by revealing that infants can indeed form memories, although these are typically inaccessible later in life due to a phenomenon known as infantile amnesia. The study, published in Science, involved brain scans of infants aged four to 25 months, showing that the hippocampus is active during memory encoding. This suggests that while episodic memories, which relate to specific events, might not be retrievable in adulthood, the hippocampus is capable of forming memories early on. The research highlights that infants primarily experience statistical learning, recognizing patterns over time, which is crucial for language and cognitive development. The findings oppose previous assumptions that memory formation in infancy is due to an underdeveloped hippocampus, instead proposing that adults simply cannot access these early memories despite their formation. This study adds depth to our understanding of memory development and the early capabilities of the infant brain.