Effects of Trauma on Childhood

Memory

This is one of my new favorite movies, Inside Out. Although it's mostly dealing with emotions, it also deals with memories and is now one of the images I get when I think of memories.

1.     Language plays a role in a young child’s developing memory by putting words to objects, actions, and events that are going on. “Language plays a role in a young child’s developing memory skills by providing both a communicative and a representational tool for remembering,” (Nelson & Fivush, as cited in Wang & Ross, 2007, 661). Studies have been done to show that if an infant is read to in the womb, in the last weeks before they are born, they are able to distinguish between the book that was read to them, and an unfamiliar book when they are born. So infants do have memory as early as in the womb. It is suggested in this reading though, that infants might not be able to remember these early memories, from birth until three years old or so, because they did not have the language at the time to recount what was going on, and so they lose those memories, (Schachtel, as cited in Wang & Ross, 2007, p. 661). By being able to have the words associated with objects they are playing with, or words associated with different actions, children are able to recount their memories.

 

I first learned about babies being able to remember being read a story in the womb after they were born in my cognitive development class, but I was able to find a TED Talk that discusses this. Now, I found the video on what seems to be a pro-life page but don’t hold that against me, I am very much pro-choice. The information I was talking about starts at 3:45 and ends at 4:15.  

TED Talk

2.   One way that culture affects memory development can be seen when one is trying to define oneself. In the Western tradition, personal memory is used to define one’s self-identity, (Wang & Ross, 2007, p. 648). European Americans reflect on memories and use them to help define who they are and who they were. These memories are directly related to them and does not have much to do with any social connection, but more so how they did during this memory. In the Eastern tradition, in order to define themselves with memory, they looked at those that were related to social status and roles, like where they are in the workplace or where they stand in their family, (Wang & Ross, 2007, p. 648). In one study, villagers felt uncomfortable discussing memories about themselves in particular, (Röttger-Rössler, as cited in Wang & Ross, 2007, p. 648). I think about how me and my friends are and how we were when we were dating, or when we would go out for drinks. We would joke about bonding over our traumas we’ve endured. We would joke about not knowing when to stop talking about the events in our lives that made us who we were. I find it interesting that speaking in that way would not be something someone of eastern tradition would do because they do not want to think about those moments.

Another way that culture affects memory development is with emotional expression. In the western tradition, people tend to recall events that were brought more positive than negative emotions, (Markus & Kitayama; Oishi; Ross, Xun, & Wilson, as cited in Wang & Ross, 2007, p. 656). This could be due to the fact that happiness and positivity are both very important in this culture, (Oishi, as cited in Wang & Ross, 2007, p. 656). No one in this culture wants to express their sadness or negativity because maybe that could be seen as weakness. I feel like happiness could be associated with success in life so maybe people only recall the positive memories as to not be seen as weak. People in Eastern traditions though, do not seem to have a problem recounting negative emotions in their lives. The amount of positive and negative was about the same, (Oishi, as cited in Wang & Ross, 2007, p. 656), but it seems as though they do not seem to have a problem with recounting these negative emotions as people do in Western traditions.

3.     One way I think my cultural background has affected the formation of autobiographical memories is when I think about if I ever played with my mom as a young child. My mom was a stay-at-home mom and I remember her cooking and cleaning more often than ever playing with me. When I was five years old, she got with my stepdad who also had children my age, so I think that was why I don’t have a lot of memories of playing with my mom, but mostly memories of playing with them. But her being a housewife really impacted the way I viewed how I should be when I grow up. They impacted how I viewed myself as a woman and as a standard that I should meet. I was always comparing myself to her. I would have memories and wonder if she would have done it this way or that. I am aware of this behavior now though and know that I do not have to compare myself to anyone and am always working on not thinking of certain memories in that way.

References

Nelson, K., & Fivush, R. (2004). The emergence of autobiographical memory: A social cultural developmental theory. Psychological Review, 111, 486–511.

Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1994). The cultural construction of self and emotion: Implications for social behavior. In S. Kitayama & H. R. Markus (Eds.), Emotion and culture: Empirical studies of mutual influence (pp. 89–130). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Schachtel, E. G. (1947). On memory and childhood amnesia. Psychiatry, 10, 1–26.

Ross, M., Xun, E., & Wilson, A. E. (2002). Language and the bicultural self. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1040–1050.

Röttger-Rössler, B. (1993). Autobiography in question: On self presentation and life description in an Indonesian society. Anthropos, 88, 365–373.

Wang, Q., & Ross, M. (2007). Culture and memory. In S. Kitayama & D. Cohen (Eds.), Handbook of cultural psychology (p. 645–667). The Guilford Press.