eli5: Why do most people have no memories from before age 4 or 5 years old?

Question

eli5: Why do most people have no memories from before age 4 or 5 years old?

In: 4721

Answer 1

I majored in psychology in college. It is my understanding is that the memories are all there, it’s just the ability to retrieve them that isn’t fully developed yet. So it’s not that the memories weren’t made or aren’t there, we just can’t access them.