During the first decade of life, there are marked improvements in mnemonic abilities. An important question from both a theoretical and applied perspective is the extent of continuity in the nature of memory during this period. The present longitudinal investigation examined declarative memory during the transition from toddlerhood to school age using both experimental and standardized assessments. Results indicate significant associations between immediate nonverbal recall at 20 months (measured by elicited imitation) and immediate verbal and nonverbal memory (measured by standardized and laboratory-based tasks) at 6 years in typically developing children. Regression models revealed this association was specific, as measures of language abilities and temperament were not predictive of later memory performance. These findings suggest both continuity and specificity within the declarative memory system during the first years of life. Theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed.

中文翻译：

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20 个月大时引发的模仿表现可预测学龄儿童的记忆能力


在生命的头十年，记忆能力有显着的提高。从理论和应用角度来看，一个重要问题是这一时期记忆本质的连续性程度。目前的纵向调查使用实验和标准化评估来检查从幼儿期到学龄期过渡期间的陈述性记忆。结果表明，在正常发育的儿童中，20 个月时的即时非语言记忆（通过诱发模仿来衡量）与 6 岁时的即时语言和非语言记忆（通过标准化和基于实验室的任务来衡量）之间存在显着关联。回归模型显示这种关联是特定的，因为语言能力和气质的测量并不能预测以后的记忆表现。这些发现表明，在生命的最初几年，陈述性记忆系统具有连续性和特异性。讨论了这些发现的理论和应用意义。