Memory Constraints on Infant Learning From Picture Books, Television, and Touchscreens

Abstract The past 15 years have seen an explosion of educational books, television, and touchscreen applications developed specifically for infants. Although infants interact with these symbolic artifacts on a daily basis, they have difficulty going beyond the symbolic source and transferring learning to real-world situations. Infants imitate fewer actions and recognize fewer words following demonstrations depicted in picture books and on televisions and touchscreens than they do following face-to-face interactions, a phenomenon termed the transfer deficit. Age-related constraints on memory flexibility contribute to this deficit. Learning can be enhanced when such constraints are considered. Specifically, repeating content and adding visual and auditory cues reduce the transfer deficit. Given the widespread availability of educational media for infants, understanding memory constraints on learning from media has practical implications for the creation and effective use of infant-directed media in early education.