Adult amnesia is a memory gap that often results from an illness or injury. Based on this selection, how does childhood amnesia differ?
A) Young children must first develop the ability to create memories.
B) Illnesses do not affect children in the same ways as adults.
C) There is no need for children to recall the first years of life.
D) There are fewer memories to lose in a child’s first few years.
The correct answer is A) Young children must first develop the ability to create memories.
Explanation: Childhood amnesia refers to the phenomenon where individuals are unable to recall events from early childhood, typically before the age of 3 or 4. This is primarily because young children have not yet developed the cognitive structures and abilities required to form and store long-term memories effectively. Unlike adult amnesia, which is often triggered by illness or injury to specific areas of the brain responsible for memory, childhood amnesia is a normal part of development as memory systems mature over time.