THE OFFSET OF CHILDHOOD AMNESIA - MEMORY FOR EVENTS THAT OCCURRED BEFORE AGE-3

Adult memory for the events surrounding the birth of a sibling was exa mined in 69 adults. The authors identified a steep offset for childhoo d amnesia for this event before the child reaches age 2 1/2 years. The authors also examined the accuracy of information recalled. Although the majority of the answers were accurate, false memories were a consi stent feature of the data. Alternative explanations of the authors' da ta were considered by examining the amount of information an additiona l 57 adults had about a family birth for which they could have no memo ry. The pattern of results did not support the view that participants might be unable to differentiate between memories and knowledge about the event.