Functions of Memory Sharing and Mother-Child Reminiscing Behaviors: Individual and Cultural Variations

Abstract

This study examined maternal beliefs about the functions of memory sharing and the relations between these beliefs and mother-child reminiscing behaviors in a cross-cultural context. Sixty-three European American and 47 Chinese mothers completed an open-ended questionnaire concerning their beliefs about the functions of parent-child memory sharing. They also engaged in a joint-reminiscing task with their child. European American mothers were more likely than Chinese mothers to report social (conversational and relationship maintenance) and teaching=problem solving functions. In addition, conversational functions were associated with increased maternal elaborativeness and evaluations during reminiscing, independent of culture. Results are discussed in light of the functional and cultural contexts of early autobiographical memory development.

Twenty years after Baddeley (1988): Is the study of autobiographical memory fully functional?

“…In the first study of its kind, Kulkofsky, Wang, and Koh (2009) interviewed European American and Chinese mothers about when and why they usually share memories with their children. The researchers found evidence of social, directive and self-functions.…”

“…Asians may be more likely than Caucasians to use memory talk as a vehicle for teaching children about shared value systems. Kulkofsky et al (2009) tested several functional hypotheses consistent with Wang's (2003) cross-cultural analysis. They predicted that European American parents would engage their children in memory talk more frequently and for a broader range of uses than Chinese parents.…”

“…Neuroticism scores were positively related to a tendency to reflect on negative memories; Extraversion scores were positively associated with conversational uses of memory and Openness scores were positively correlated with identity/problem-solving functions. Kulkofsky et al's (2009) and Webster's (1993) analyses were based on respondents' general, out-of-context evaluations of the ways that they use memory purposefully in everyday life. To examine memory processes in particular contexts, experimental designs that prompt targeted remembering and then observe the impact on feelings, attitudes or behaviours are especially promising.…”

Factor structure of overall autobiographical memory usage: The directive, self and social functions revisited

“…Accordingly, they may also differ with respect to overall memory usage. For instance, when examining the self-reported functions of memory sharing in mother-child reminiscing practices, Kulkofsky, Wang and Koh (2009) found that European American mothers were more likely than This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Memory, Memory, 19:6, 597-605, DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2011, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09658211.2011.592499.…”

Why I remember that: The influence of contextual factors on beliefs about everyday memory

“…In a more recent study, Kulkofsky, Wang, and Koh (2009) asked European American and Chinese mothers to report why they share memories with their preschoolaged children. The mothers provided both functional and nonfunctional explanations (although the nonfunctional explanations were not analyzed).…”