The distribution of self-narrative memories in younger and older adults: Elaborating the self-narrative hypothesis

Abstract

The age distribution of freely sampled autobiographical memories for older adults consistently reflects both a strong recency effect and a trend to report a large portion of memories from the age range 15-25. The self-narrative hypothesis proposes that the large proportion of youthful memories reflects the availability of a pool of identity-related memories from this age range. The present study tested and supported two related hypotheses. First, adults instructed to recall memories that are an important part of their life story report a large proportion of memories from the adolescent and young adult periods. Second, younger (median = 36 years) and older (median = 66 years) adults show similar patterns of sampling from that period. Additional analyses indicated that both age groups show similar profiles of rehearsal and preoccupation. The data provide support for the self-narrative hypothesis and the value of functional analyses of memory.