There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
This study investigated the mechanisms behind episodic autobiographical memory (EAM)
development in school-age children. Thirty children (6-11years) performed a novel
EAM test. We computed one index of episodicity via autonoetic consciousness and two
indices of retrieval spontaneity (overall and EAM-specific) for a recent period (previous
school year) and a more remote one (preschool years). Executive functions, and episodic
and personal semantic memory were assessed. Results showed that recent autobiographical
memories (AMs) were mainly episodic, unlike remote ones. An age-related increase in
the indices of episodicity and specific spontaneity for recent AMs was mainly mediated
by an age-related increase in the efficiency of the three cognitive abilities. Remote
AMs varied only slightly with age (overall spontaneity), reflecting improvements in
semantic abilities. Thus, EAM development in school-age children is essentially bound
up with the increasing efficiency of cognitive abilities. Results are discussed in
the light of models of childhood amnesia.