The first memories of your childhood could be wrong

The oldest memories of people are generally formed more or less between 3 and 3 and a half years as demonstrated by previous research.

a survey of more than 6,600 people British scientists found that 39% of participants claimed to have memories of 2 years or more and some claimed that they even had memories of when they were 1 year old or younger. The report was published in the journal Psychological Science.

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

How the study was corroborated

The researchers asked the participants to describe their first memory and the age at which it occurred . Participants were told that they had to make sure it was a memory of something that had happened. For example, it could not be caused by a photograph, a family history or any other source that direct experience.

Then, 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 one's life. age where memories can not be formed. Many of these memories were 2 years old or older, suggesting that they were not based on real facts, but facts or knowledge about their childhood or childhood from photographs or pictures. family stories.

Memories are caused by a fragment of an early experience, such as a stroller for babies or young children, family relationships or a feeling of sadness, explained the researchers.

"We suggest that what one remembers when remembering fictitious and improbably precocious memories we remember fragments of an early experience and of some facts or knowledge about his own childhood or childhood, "commented study author Shazia Akhtar, research associate at Bradford University. be deduced or added later, said Akhtar.

Martin Conway, co-author of the study and director of the Center for Memory and Law, University of the City of London, said that "when we examine participants found that many of these early "memories" were often related to childhood. "Over time, fragments of dialogues or sentences become a memory, and often the person starts adding things," he added.

" Something crucial is that the person who remembers does not seem to know fictitious ," Conway said. "In fact, when people are told that their memories are wrong, they often do not believe it."