Autobiographical memory specificity among preschool-aged children.
Overgeneral memory refers to difficulty retrieving specific autobiographical memories and is consistently associated with depression and/or trauma. The present study developed a downward extension of the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT; Williams & Broadbent, 1986) given the need to document normative developmental changes in ability to retrieve specific memories among preschoolers. Confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory demonstrated that the AMT-Preschool Version maintained the same underlying 1-factor structure as the original. Additionally, the present study determined that child age was associated with increased specificity. Inhibitory control was evaluated as a potential mediator. Although age was related to inhibition, inhibition was unrelated to memory specificity. This finding adds to research suggesting that behavioral inhibition is unrelated to overgeneral memory among youth.
Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame.
Amy K
AK
Nuttall
Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame.
Kristin
K
Valentino
Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame.
Michelle
M
Comas
Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame.
Anne T
AT
McNeill
Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame.
Paul C
PC
Stey
D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests