Family Members' Agreement on Memories of Shared Experiences

Abstract

Agreement of family members' recollections of shared events was explored. Mothers, fathers, and eldest children from 32 families were assessed through both free recall and specific questions. Comparison of 24 usable accounts indicated few points of similarity from the content analysis but somewhat greater agreement on specifics, except for emotional reactions. Results suggest terming families' memories, particularly affective attributes, as “shared” is questionable, except where traumatic events are concerned.