Is it possible to have memories of our two years?

It is not surprising to meet someone who claims to be able to remember perfectly situations or scenes of kindergarten, including the maternal stage. But that could be a trick of the mind. The souvenirs The first people are usually formed from 3 and a half years, as demonstrated by previous research.

But in a survey with more than 6,600 people, British scientists have discovered that one 39% of participants reported having memories of two years or earlierand some people have claimed to be at least 1 year old. The report was published in the journal Psychological Science.

"These early memories are likely to be false," the researchers said. This was especially true among middle-aged and older adults.

How the study was badyzed

The researchers asked participants to describe their first memory and the age at which it occurred. They were told that they had to be sure it was a memory of something that had happened. For example, I could not cause it photography, a family story or a source other than direct experience.

The researchers examined the content, language, nature and details of these early memories and evaluated the likely reasons why people claim to have memories of an age where they can not form. Many of these memories date back to the age of 2 years or older, suggesting that they were not based on actual facts, but on facts or knowledge about their childhood or childhood. photographs or family stories.

Often, these false memories are caused by a part of a recent experience, for example a stroller for a baby or a young child, family relationships or a feeling of sadness, the researchers explained.

"We believe that what a person has in mind when he remembers a fictitious moment these are fragments of a first experience and some facts or knowledge regarding their own childhood or childhood, "said study author, Shazia Akhtar, senior research badociate at Bradford University, and others details can be deduced later, said Akhtar.

Martin Conway, co-author of the study and director of the Center for the Memory and Law of the University of London, said that "when we examined the participants' responses, we found that". a large number of them first & # 39; memories & # 39; they were often linked to childhood. "Over time, fragments of dialogues or sentences become memories and often the person starts to add things," he added.

"Something crucial is that the volunteers do not seem to differentiate the fictitious from the true"Conway said." In fact, when people are told that their memories are wrong, they often do not believe it. "