Abstract
This study tests whether developments in self-knowledge and autobiographical event memory across early to late childhood are related. Self-descriptions and autobiographical memory reports were collected from 379 3- to 11-year-old predominantly white Scottish children, Mage=90.3 months, SD=31.1, 54% female. Episodic memory was measured in an enactment task involving recall and source monitoring of self-performed and witnessed actions. The volume and complexity of self-knowledge and autobiographical memory reports increased with age, as did source monitoring ability and recall bias for own actions. Regression analyses and structural equation modelling confirmed a predictive relationship between these developments. These results inform our theoretical understanding of the development of the self-memory system in childhood, which may contribute to the gradual offset of childhood amnesia.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 33 |
Journal | Child Development |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 9 Sept 2024 |
Keywords
- self
- self-knowledge
- autobiographical memory
- self-memory system
- childhood