Abstract
In this chapter, we propose that the construction of autobiographical memory begins in early parent-child conversations about the past. Through these conversations, children learn the conventionalized narrative forms which eventually provide a structure for internally represented memories. Interestingly, parents differ in the complexity of the narrative forms they use in these interactions. Some parents show an “elaborative” style; they have long, richly detailed conversations about the past. Other parents are more “repetitive”; they have short conversations about the past in which they tend to ask the same questions over and over. Moreover, these parental differences are linked to gender of the child, such that parents are more elaborative with daughters than with sons. Implications of these individual differences for children’s and adults’ autobiographical memories are discussed.
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Fivush, R., Reese, E. (1992). The social construction of autobiographical memory. In: Conway, M.A., Rubin, D.C., Spinnler, H., Wagenaar, W.A. (eds) Theoretical Perspectives on Autobiographical Memory. NATO ASI Series, vol 65. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7967-4_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7967-4_7
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