The Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) is the most commonly used tool to assess the phenomenon of overgeneral memory. The AMT has mainly been used in adult populations, but its use in preschool children is less common. The need to create an appropriate instrument to study the memory specificity in preschool years led us to develop an AMT version adapted for early childhood. The AMT-Preschool (AMT-P) was administered to a sample of preschool children aged between 3 and 6 (N = 364). The results suggest that the AMT-P functions differently in preschoolers depending on age. With children older than 53 months, results suggest that the AMT-P is appropriate for assessing overgenerality. Nevertheless, with younger children age, the task is more difficult. These results concur with previous research suggesting that the ability to recall specific memories is consolidated from the age of 4½.

Early adolescents’ perception of parenting styles is crucial to their present and future physical and mental well-being. The main aim of the present study was to analyze differences in parenting styles between mothers and fathers and differences on emotional state scales (anxiety, depression, and purpose in life) depending on gender, age, and family structure in 744 girls (54%) and boys (45.7%) aged between 10 and 12 years. The results showed that the early adolescents perceived greater levels of affect than criticism, with mothers being considered more affectionate than fathers. The greater the perceived affect and communication, the greater was the perception of purpose in life and the lower the levels of anxiety and depression in early adolescents. Boys showed higher levels of perceived criticism and rejection. Family affect and communication play a key role in purpose in life and emotional well-being of children, with parenting styles being a determining factor.

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