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The Cultural Shaping of Autobiographical Memory: A Review of Developmental Theories and Empirical Evidence
- 1 Northeastern University
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Autobiographical memory (AM) represents a vital facet of human cognition, encompassing personal experiences and specific life events. This review traces AM development from infancy through childhood, beginning with episodic autobiographical memories (EAM) as AM's building blocks, leading to the emergence of AM. Neuroimaging studies are included to review the neurodevelopment of EAM and AM, highlighting the involvement of the frontal cortex and temporal lobes in these processes. The review extensively discusses three major theoretical models: the Social Cultural Developmental Theory, the Model of Culturally Situated Autobiographical Memory Development, and the Bio-Psycho-Social Model. These models are examined to understand cross-cultural differences in AM specificity, particularly focusing on the influence of social interactions, self-goals, language, emotion knowledge, and maternal reminiscing styles. The review also selects empirical studies from the last four years (2020-2024) that provide further support and evidence for these models. These studies underscore the influence of cultural contexts on AM development and highlight cultural differences in positive and negative memory recall, maternal reminiscing styles, and their impact on children's AM development, emphasizing the complex interplay of neural, cognitive, social, and cultural factors in shaping autobiographical memory.
Keywords
autobiographical memory, episodic autobiographical memories, memory development, cross-culture development
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Cite this article
Tang,H. (2024). The Cultural Shaping of Autobiographical Memory: A Review of Developmental Theories and Empirical Evidence. Advances in Social Behavior Research,10,61-65.
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