ABSTRACT
Earliest memories have been a topic of discussion from various perspectives primarily because they reveal the age when children develop their autobiographical memory skills and when childhood amnesia ends. Recent research from our laboratory in addition to others, indicates that the consistency of the content and the dating of earliest memories vary significantly. In addition, research on the contents and dates of earliest memories suggest different mechanisms for remembering and dating. We discuss the variations, individual differences that lead to earlier or later memories, the possible mechanisms, and their significance.
