Older, wiser, and happier? Comparing older adults’ and college students’ self-defining memories

Abstract

The present study compared self-defining memories in adults 50 years of age and older to the self-defining memories of college students. Findings are largely congruent with previous memory and ageing research, but shed additional light on how personal memories are employed to achieve a sense of identity and continuity in older adults. Older adults’ self-defining memories, compared to those of younger adults, were more positive in emotional tone, more summarised and less detailed, and more likely to contain integrative meaning. The implications of these findings for assessing normative personal memory in older adults are discussed along with more general observations about narrative identity in older adulthood.

Notes

¹Successful ageing, in Wong and Watt's (1991) study, was operationally defined as “higher than the average ratings in mental and physical health and adjustment as determined by an interviewer and a panel of gerontological professionals” (p. 272).

²A total of 10 additional participants (6 alumni, 1 Connecticut College staff, 1 faculty member from the nearby liberal arts institution, and 2 participants from a senior citizen's community) were omitted from the analysis because they either were not 50 years old (3 participants) or did not follow the questionnaire's instructions properly (7 participants).