We often ask each other, “What’s your first memory?”. Some people have surprising recall of early events. Then again, others can remember only as far back as the age of five or six. But how do childhood memories form? And why do some people have much earlier recall than others?
Now, scientists at the University of Hertfordshire, working in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University, have confirmed that spontaneous memories could develop much earlier in life than the ability to deliberately recall something.
Spontaneously remembering a past event, or having a song pop into your head while busy with an unrelated task, is a common experience for adults – but until now, little was known about whether, and how, this phenomenon occurred in children.
This latest research confirms that children do remember spontaneously.
This is important because it gives us new insights into memory development and could potentially change the way we educate our children.
