The temporal distribution of autobiographical memory: changes in reliving and vividness over the life span do not explain the reminiscence bump
Open accessAbstract
When autobiographical memories are elicited with word cues, personal events from middle childhood to early adulthood are overrepresented compared to events from other periods. It is, however, unclear whether these memories are also associated with greater recollection. In this online study, we examined whether autobiographical memories from adolescence and early adulthood are recollected more than memories from other lifetime periods. Participants rated personal events that were elicited with cue words on reliving or vividness. Consistent with previous studies, most memories came from the period in which the participants were between 6 and 20 years old. The memories from this period were not relived more or recalled more vividly than memories from other lifetime periods, suggesting that they do not involve more recollection. Recent events had higher levels of reliving and vividness than remote events, and older adults reported a stronger recollective experience than younger adults.
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The reminiscence bump was found to peak between ages 6-10 in a recent study that used neutral word cues.
“The reminiscence bump was found to peak between ages 6–10 in a recent study that used neutral word cues to elicit memories and had large enough samples to use small age bins”
From Does puberty mark a transition in sensitive periods for plasticity in the associative neocortex? (2017) · cites this paper as Janssen et al., 2011
Olfactory-related autobiographical memories are more readily retrieved from the time prior to puberty, and more general autobiographical memories are retrieved from around the peripubertal period than at later times in life.
“Olfactory-related autobiographical memories are more readily retrieved from the time prior to puberty (Chu and Downes, 2000; Rubin, 2015; Willander and Larsson, 2008), and more general autobiographical memories are retrieved from around the peripubertal period than at later times in life”
From Does puberty mark a transition in sensitive periods for plasticity in the associative neocortex? (2017) · cites this paper as Janssen et al., 2011
People tend to generate more lasting autobiographical memories from late childhood and teenage period of life than later in life.
“A series of investigations of autobiographical memories have found that people tend to generate more lasting autobiographical memories from late childhood and teenage period of life than later in life”
From Does puberty mark a transition in sensitive periods for plasticity in the associative neocortex? (2017) · cites this paper as Janssen et al., 2011
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References 95 · Cited by 122
- Authors
- Janssen, S. M. J., Rubin, D. C., & St. Jacques, P. L.
- Affiliations
- Duke University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Janssen, Steve M. J.
- Venue
- Memory & Cognition
- Published
- 2010-11-06
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-11
- ISSN
- 0090-502X (ISSN-L)
- 1532-5946
- PMC
- PMC3034034
- OpenAlex
- W2133792772
- Cited by
- 122
- References
- 95
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 2.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Memory & Cognition (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Sussex Research Online (University of Sussex) (submittedVersion)
- DukeSpace (Duke University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (446-06-031)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH066079)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- autobiographical memory, reminiscence bump, recollection, reliving, vividness, lifespan, adolescence, early adulthood, older adults
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aging, Arousal, Attention, Child, Cues, Emotions, Female, Humans, Judgment, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Mental Recall, Semantics, Young Adult
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