Psychological/cognitive theories assert that the ability to maintain detailed, declarative-like memories in the long term correlates with the development of language, theory of mind, and/or sense of 'self.' However, the finding that experimental animals also show infantile amnesia suggests that this phenomenon cannot be explained fully in purely human terms. How can these findings be reconciled? The mechanisms underlying this form of amnesia are the subject of much debate. Although universally observed, infantile amnesia is a paradox adults have surprisingly few memories of early childhood despite the seemingly exuberant learning capacity of young children. In the late 19th Century, Sigmund Freud described the phenomenon in which people are unable to recall events from early childhood as infantile amnesia.
