When humans are born their brains are not capable of forming recallable memories. The sequence of the development of mental capabilities is being studied more closely:
By Randall Parker at 2002 October 31 09:49 PM Brain MemorySix-month-olds have a memory span of no more than about 24 hours, which gradually expands to up to a month by 9 months. In the new study, 13-month-old babies could not remember events they had witnessed and mimicked four months earlier -- a task that came easily to their elders, ages 21 months and 28 months.
The findings support the view that at 9 months, two key areas of the brain involved in learning and memory are not yet fully mature. These are the hippocampus, a region where memories are first processed before being transferred to the cerebral cortex for permanent storage, and the frontal cortex. This large anterior area of the brain is involved in reasoning, planning, abstract thought and other complex cognitive processes in addition to motor functions, such as speech, handwriting, drawing, walking, reaching and grasping.
i AM A STUDENT AT CHESTERTON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL I CAM TO YOUR WEB SITE EXPECTING INFORMATION FOR MY CHILD DEVELOPMENT STUDIES BUT THERE WAS NOT MUCH TO GO ON I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD SEND ME MORE INFO ON HUMAN BABIES DEVELOPMENTS THANK YOU K.J.SMITH
I am taking an A-level in psychology and one hting im looking at is memory, in babies. But there is hardly anything on your site. I would be appreciative if u could send me any information to do with this subject to help with my studies. thankyou, P.Taylor
Another recent study you might want to look at has to do with ">how well babies can tell where a person is looking.
The Eyes Have It: Study Shows Infants More Tuned Into Wider World Than Previously Believed
Adults often believe infants are off in their own world, but a new study indicates they are more tuned into the wider world and what the people around them are doing than previously thought.
The research by University of Washington psychologists Rechele Brooks and Andrew Meltzoff reveals the importance of eyes to12-, 14- and 18-month-old infants and shows that they are much more likely to look at an object when a person turns toward it with open eyes rather than closed. Not only that, but the study also shows that infants gazed at the object longer when the person looked at it with open eyes, and the infants initiated more vocalizing and pointing toward the object.
In addition, the study, published in the current issue of the journal Developmental Psychology, indicates that by the age of 14 months infants become sensitive to things that may obstruct another person's view. The infants were more likely to look at an object when a person was wearing a headband rather than a blindfold that blocked the person's view.
"Our work shows children are clued into the social world and are taking into account what other people are perceiving," said Brooks, who is a research associate at the UW's Center for Mind, Brain & Learning. "They are not off on their own, but are solving puzzles with the help of others. They are noting subtle differences and modifying their behavior."
"This work is important because following another person's line of sight is crucial for learning about language and understanding the emotions of other people," said Meltzoff, co-director of the center and a UW psychology professor.
Brooks and Meltzoff refer to the behavior of a person looking where another has just looked as "gaze following," and psychologists have known for some time that among adults detecting the direction of another's glance is a crucial component of human social interactions. The concept of joint attention, or two people looking at and understanding that they are looking at the same object together, Brooks said, appears to be a "uniquely human quality."