Research into the memories of animals such as mice and rats suggests that they experience infantile amnesia. A psychoanalytic theorist might suggest that this is because these animals have repressed the memories of traumatic events, but the critical-thinking principle of ________ suggests that this is rather implausible assertion.

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Occam's Razor is the principle that suggests that the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is usually the most likely one. In this case, it is more plausible to assume that infantile amnesia in animals is due to developmental processes rather than a psychoanalytic theory of repressed memories. The theory of repressed memories implies a level of complexity that is unnecessary to explain the phenomenon.

Research into the Memories of Animals Such as Mice and Rats