Individual differences in autobiographical memory and social use: an experience sampling study

Sharing autobiographical memories helps people maintain and strengthen social bonds. People who describe their autobiographical memories as more vivid also tend to share those memories more often. However, most previous studies on this topic have used questionnaire measures, which may introduce retrospective bias. This study used the experience sampling method to examine the relationship between individual differences in autobiographical memory detail and the frequency of memory sharing. Participants (n = 116) received eight daily signals over seven days and reported whether they were interacting with others. When interacting, they further indicated whether they shared autobiographical memories. Participants with more detailed autobiographical recall shared memories more frequently. They also shared autobiographical memories more often with closer interaction partners, whereas individuals with lower memory detail showed no variation in sharing frequency as a function of partner closeness. These findings address key methodological limitations of prior studies. The results also extend evidence on the social function of autobiographical memories. Overall, the findings suggest that differences in autobiographical memory are associated with how often people use memories in social situations and how they interact with others.