Why Do Older Adults Repeatedly Recall the Past Events? Associations with Autobiographical Memory Functions and Cognitive Function

The phenomena of autobiographical memory (the reminiscence bump and repeated recall) and the functional roles of autobiographical memory (self, social, directive, and emotion regulation functions) have been examined independently. The purpose of this study was to examine this issue. Ninety-two older adults (aged 65 and above) recalled important autobiographical memories at baseline and again after one year. Additionally, their cognitive function and autobiographical memory functions were assessed. Although the reminiscence bump was observed, the repeated recall rate did not vary by the age at which the event was experienced. Higher working memory was associated with a greater repeated recall rate, especially for earlier life events. In contrast, individuals with higher directive function showed a lower repeated recall rate, although they tended to repeatedly recall more important events. The findings suggest that understanding individual differences in autobiographical memory phenomena requires considering both their functional roles and underlying cognitive abilities.