A Taxonomy of Reminiscence and Therapeutic Implications

The exploration of memories in Gestalt reminiscence therapy

“…Since the study was exploratory in nature, the orientation of the researchers was on the development rather than the con rmation of hypotheses from the data. However, support for Watt and Wong's (1991) taxonomy of reminiscences and identi ed themes will also be noted. From a gestalt reminiscence therapy perspective, interest was focused on what was occurring for the participants as they recounted their memories.…”

“…Recounting memories can be a way to approach talking about and appraising one's own life. Watt and Wong (1991) outlined a taxonomy of reminiscence as a rst step in developing the therapeutic use of memories. They identi ed six different types: integrative, instrumental, transmissive, narrative, escapist and obsessive.…”

“…Instrumental reminiscence acts as a buffer against emotional distress, as the person recalls past efforts in coping with dif cult situations, sometimes in order to help solve a present dif culty. Watt (1986) found that this type of reminiscing is associated with 'successful ageing' (cited in Watt and Wong, 1991). An instructive aspect identi es transmissive reminiscing: the speaker can 'hand on' some enduring values acquired when growing up in a different era.…”

“…This type of reminiscence would be viewed as a marker of 'un nished business' in gestalt reminiscence therapy. Watt and Wong (1991) coded their subjects' recollections according to 11 themes: childhood memories; dating and marriage; domestic life; children and grandchildren; signi cant others (including relatives and friends); education and career (including personal accomplishments); societal events; health; relocation; death; and existential beliefs (including religious or philosophical beliefs regarding life and death).…”

Traumatic injury and identity: Incorporating traumatic episodes into the life story

“…Finally, at the point of older adulthood, adults' life stories tend to consist of reflection and life review (Baddeley & Singer, 2007). Researchers such as Watt and Wong (1991) Bauer and McAdams (2004) assessed adults in the midst of life transitions, hypothesizing that the way in which individuals interpret life transitions determines whether or how they experience post-transition self-development. They based their assertion on past research demonstrating that life transitions may lead to periods of selfreflection, meaning-making, and personal development (Cantor & Kihlstrom, 1987;Bauer & Bonanno, 2001).…”