The cultural context of talk about the past: Implications for the development of autobiographical memory

Recent research shows that adults engage children in a process of “co-constructing” memories by guiding them in the production of verbal accounts of their experiences. Such talk about past events may influence the development of autobiographical memory by teaching children that memories of personal experiences are valued, and further, which aspects of experience are considered memorable. It has been suggested that cultures may differ in the amount and content of these interactions. Sixteen mother and 3-year-old dyads (8 Korean and 8 Caucasian) were tape-recorded during naturally occurring conversations. The Caucasian dyads engaged in talk about past events nearly three times as often as the Korean dyads. This difference, as well as content differences in the talk, are discussed in light of socialization goals. Combined with previous research showing that Caucasian adults report earlier childhood memories than Asians, these findings support the theory that early linguistic experience may be related to the development of autobiographical memory.