What we remember and what we tell: The effects of culture and self‐priming on memory representations and narratives
Two experiments were conducted to explore culture and self‐priming effects on memories of Caucasian and Asian American adults ( N = 526). In the experimental conditions, either the collective or private self was primed prior to retrieval. Participants then described their earliest
childhood memories (Study 1) or recalled a fictional story (Study 2). Systematic cultural differences in memory content were obtained across both memory tasks, independent of priming conditions. Caucasians tended to recall specific, one‐moment‐in‐time events that focused on
the individual as the central character. Asians tended to provide memories of general, routine events centring on collective activities and social interactions. Priming effects also emerged: memory content reflected the particular aspect of the self being primed. Findings are discussed in
light of the interactive relation between memory representations and memory narratives and the role culture plays in remembering.
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: University of Waterloo, Canada
Publication date: 01 August 2005
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