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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2016
Maternal oxytocin responsiveness improves specificity of positive social memory recall
Wai S Tse1, Angela F Y Siu2, Qian Zhang3
1School of Arts and Humanities, Tung Wah College, 90A Shantung Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
Background:
Oxytocin is related to positive parenting behaviours and social cognition. Long-term relationships are partly influenced by the social memory of a person. Positive social memory with the attachment figure may play a mediating role between oxytocin responsiveness and positive parenting behaviours.
Methodology:
The study recruited 61 pairs of married mothers and preschool children from a community in Hong Kong. Sociodemographic background and neuroticism data of the respondents were collected in a laboratory. Salivary oxytocin and current mood rating were obtained 10 and 15 min before and after free play, respectively. After collecting the second salivary oxytocin samples, the mothers engaged in a parenting recall task.
Results:
The mothers with high oxytocin responsiveness recalled previous positive social events with great detail and used uncontrollability attribution to explain such positive events.
Discussion:
Oxytocin responsiveness influenced the recall of positive social events and attribution. This influence may enhance the sensitivity and positive behaviours of parenting.
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