Characteristics of Self-Defining Memories in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Self-Defining Memories (SDMs) are a specific type of autobiographical memory, which play a key role in the construction of personal identity. ; Objective: We investigated the characteristics of SDMs in elderly subjects. The originality of the present study is to compare our elderly group to middle-aged subjects instead of young adults, as previously reported in the literature, to understand the age-related modifications in SDMs. ; Methods: We recruited 41 elderly subjects with normal cognitive functioning and 37 middle-aged adults. They were matched for education level and verbal knowledge. ; Results: Older participants recalled the same number of specific memories than middle-aged participants. SDMs were predominantly constituted of episodic characteristics, with specific details, in both the groups. However, middle-aged subjects gave more integrative meaning of SDMs and more redemptive events than older participants. The two samples differed in three content dimensions (exploration/recreation, relationship contents, and not classifiable). As predicted, older participants reported memories that were more positive, on average, than the middle-aged participants' memories. ; Conclusion: Our study added some contributions to the understanding of the consequences of aging on the sense of self. Future research should explore the continuity of SDMs characteristics across the lifespan.