Temporal Experiences and Time Knowledge in Infancy and Early Childhood

Abstract

The developmental psychology of time is a vast field, as vast as the complexities of the notion of time itself. No overview can do justice to all areas of exploration. This paper focuses on early temporal experiences and time knowledge. The first section deals with the precursors of some temporal abilities in infancy. Then, three sets of studies are reviewed: studies on the development of representations of temporal structure; studies on transitions over the course of ontogenesis from conditioned responses to time to more cognitively regulated behaviours; and research on the development of children's conceptions of time as a quantifiable dimension.