What is your first memory of childhood – and did it really happen? | Science



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This is a highly meditated and discussed topic: your first memory of childhood. For some, it's their first bee sting or a formative interaction with a parent as a toddler. Others claim to be able to remember lying in a pram. But how sure are you of remembering this experience, rather than having been informed by photographs and family anecdotes?

A new study published in the journal Psychological Science reveals that 40% of people believe they have a first memory dating back to the age of two years or earlier, including changing diapers, being in a stroller or even walking for the first time. Three tend to be the most agreed upon age of a realistic first memory, but the British academics behind the research suggest five or six is ​​an age more likely to remember something.

Professor Martin Conway, director of the Center for Memory and Law at City, University of London, and co-author of the research, explained what fuels these first fictitious memories: "When we examined the participants' responses, we found that many of these early memories were often related to childhood, and a typical example would be a memory based around a landau. For this person, this type of memory could have come from someone who said something like "mother had a big green stroller". The person then imagines what she would have looked like. Over time, these fragments become a memory and often the person will start adding things like a row of toys along the top. "

Share Your Memories and Experiences

We are interested in hearing what you believe to be your first memory, how old were you and how many details can you remember? Are you sure that this is an authentic souvenir? Tell us about it in the form below and we will present some of your contributions as part of a future article.You can also share a photo of yourself. -even to complete your contribution.

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