EARLY-CHILDHOOD MEMORIES - ACCURACY AND AFFECT

Subjects were asked to report the earliest memories of their lives. Wh ere possible, the memory protocols were submitted to adults present at the time of the original episode for possible confirmation. The major ity of memories were characterized by distinct emotion, with a higher count of negative than of positive emotion. The majority of memories p roved accurate, with confirmation operating at as high a level in the case of positive or emotionally neutral memories as of negative memori es. General memory content showed no differential patterns across nega tive and positive memories. Thus claims that infantile memories are po wered uniquely by trauma, and/or routinely include distortions, were n ot supported. Evidence was found that some memories recalled as emotio nally bland by the subject had involved an originally emotional episod e.