Sticking out and fitting in: Culture-specific predictors of 3-year-olds’ autobiographical memories during joint reminiscing

The present study investigates the relationship between mother–child interaction styles with 19 months and children's autobiographical memory with 3 years of age in two cultural contexts: New Delhi, India (n = 25) and Berlin, Germany (n = 33). Results demonstrate similarities as well as culture specificities. In both contexts, maternal elaborations during reminiscing were related to children's memory contributions. Over time, maternal support for toddlers’ self-expression during free play at 19 months predicted their children's memory elaborations at 3 years in the Berlin context. In the Delhi context, toddlers’ willingness to carry out their mothers’ requests at 19 months predicted their memory elaborations at 3 years. These results suggest different motivational bases underlying children's autobiographical memory contributions during mother–child reminiscing related to different cultural orientations.

► Relation of early interaction patterns and mother–child reminiscing in two cultures.
► Positive relation of maternal elaborations and children's memory in both cultures.
► Maternal responsiveness predicted children's memory in the Berlin sample.
► Children's responsiveness predicted children's memory in the Delhi sample.
► Potentially different motivations underlying children's memory contributions.