Indexing Early Visual Memory Durability in Infancy.

ABSTRACT

The goal was to examine the scope and development of early visual memory durability. We investigated individual- and age-related differences across three unique tasks in 6- to 12-month-olds (Mage  = 8.87, N = 49) by examining the effect of increased delay on memory performance. Results suggest longer-term memory processes are quantifiable by 8 months using a modified Change Detection paradigm and spatial-attention cueing processes are quantifiable by 10 months using a modified Delayed Response paradigm, utilizing 500-1,250 ms delays. Performance improved from 6 to 12 months and longer delays impaired performance. We found no evidence for success on the Delayed Match Retrieval task at any age. These outcomes help inform our understanding of infant visual memory durability and its emergence throughout early development.