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Gender differences in autobiographical memory for childhood emotional experiences
1School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. davis@mailbox.gu.edu.au
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|April 2, 1999
Summary
Women recall more childhood memories than men, especially emotional ones. This suggests gender socialization impacts autobiographical memory development and recall.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Limited research exists on gender differences in autobiographical memory.
- Autobiographical memory, particularly for childhood events, is crucial for self-identity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender differences in the recall of childhood autobiographical memories.
- To explore the influence of emotion on gender-related memory recall.
Main Methods:
- Five studies were conducted involving adult men and women, and children.
- Participants were asked to recall childhood events.
Main Results:
- Females consistently recalled more childhood memories than males.
- Females were also generally faster in accessing their recalled memories.
- This gender difference was specific to memories involving emotion.
Conclusions:
- Gender-differentiated socialization processes appear to influence autobiographical emotional memory.
- Autobiographical memory, especially for emotional events, is partly a social construct.