The Development of Implicit Memory From Infancy to Childhood: On Average Performance Levels and Interindividual Differences

• Published in: Child development Vol. 89; no. 2; pp. 370 - 382
• Main Authors: Vöhringer, Isabel A., Kolling, Thorsten, Graf, Frauke, Poloczek, Sonja, Freitag, Claudia, Suhrke, Janina, Teubert, Manuel, Lohaus, Arnold, Fassbender, Ina, Lamm, Bettina, Teiser, Johanna, Keller, Heidi, Schwarzer, Gudrun, Knopf, Monika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley for the Society for Research in Child Development 01.03.2018; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Age differences; Averages; Brain structure; Child Development - physiology; Child, Preschool; Childhood; Children; EMPIRICAL ARTICLES; Female; Humans; Implicit memory; Individuality; Infancy; Infant; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Memory - physiology; Methodological problems; Panic attacks
• ISSN: 0009-3920; 1467-8624
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12749

The present multimethod longitudinal study aimed at investigating development and stability of implicit memory during infancy and early childhood. A total of 134 children were followed longitudinally from 3 months to 3 years of life assessing different age-appropriate measures of implicit memory. Results from structural equation modeling give further evidence that implicit memory is stable from 9 months of life on, with earlier performance predicting later performance. Second, it was found that implicit memory is present from early on, and no age-related improvements are found from 3 months on. Results are discussed with respect to the basic brain structures implicit memory builds on, as well as methodological issues.