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READING PASSAGE 3

First Memories

Psychologist Richard Worrington reviews research into our earliest memories.

People have sometimes told me they dread the question, ‘What is your earliest memory?’
Perhaps they find the whole notion too simplistic, like being asked to name a favourite film or
book, when the choice is almost limitless. But we should welcome enquiries about our first
memories – it is a compliment if others are interested in our lives and experiences. Besides that,
the human memory is a fascinating area of study. Research shows that some subjects can provide
rich details of a first memory very quickly while others struggle to come up with anything at all.
Their range of memories is also predictably diverse, from holidays and injuries to routine
activities such as walking in the park or having a family meal. Most studies show that around
25% of first memories are of a negative event, while nearly double that proportion are positive,
and these findings are constant regardless of the subjects’ ages or backgrounds.

Historically, the topic of human memory in general most certainly attracted a great deal of
scholarly attention. But our earliest memories were largely overlooked by researchers, which
turns out to have been an important omission. Scientists developed a reasonable understanding of
what we now call ‘semantic memory’, which is the ability to recall what might loosely be called
data, such as dates, times or places in which a particular incident occurred. In general terms,
semantic memory is fixed and static. However, there are other forms of memory, which
collectively I call ‘subjective memories’, and these are much more fluid. For example, numerous
experiments studying the memories held by witnesses to an event have shown conclusively that
recollections of what happened can vary dramatically between individuals, and even in the same
person over time. Our earliest memories are another example of subjective memory.

So what do we know about when, why and how our earliest memories form? Scientists today
recognise what has been termed ‘childhood amnesia’. This is the finding that babies and toddlers
do not form lasting memories. For the majority of adults, their earliest memories begin once the
period of childhood amnesia has come to an end, at about three and a half years of age. These are
the memories that will endure for the rest of their lives. However, beyond that fixed starting
point much variation exists. For example, one study found that the earliest memories of
American children were more likely to feature solitary play or events where they were the central
character. Asian children, in contrast, tended to remember family or school events in which they
might have played no central role. Based on the assumption that American society places greater
emphasis on individualism, this implies that earliest memories are influenced by social priorities.

Another important idea is that of ‘autobiographical memory’. This is the concept that many
people construct a narrative of their lives and select memories that contribute most forcefully to
that narrative. This seems to be relevant to our earliest memories in the following sense. Once
people reach maturity, they often develop a strong feeling of who they are, perhaps based on
their chosen line of work or their interests. Studies show that, for example, the earliest memories
of an accomplished sportswoman were of herself as a child athlete, whereas a chef recalled
preparing a meal as a young boy. Thus, who we are now appears to have some bearing on what
we choose to recall from long ago.

A picture is emerging, then, of the unreliability of our earliest memories. Certainly, studies show
that some earliest memories are simply made up. However, these seem to be a small minority.
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Much more common is that our earliest memories may be pieced together from different
elements of reality. They may feature an item that we do remember from our childhood, such as
a pram or toy, but embellished in some way to include a larger event. Or they may feature
information that actually comes from a photograph, a family story, a memory that we’ve heard
from somebody else, or some combination of all of these. Research shows that some memories
stand out from the rest as much clearer and more colourful. These are usually formed during
what’s known as the ‘reminiscence bump’, which occurs between the ages of 16 and 25. But
even these memories are no less likely to be created.

In fact, research shows that only so-called ‘flashbulb memories’ are likely to be completely true.
These are memories that derive from events about which we have particularly strong feelings,
perhaps of intense sadness or happiness. But most of our other early memories are, at least to
some extent, chosen by us. The question is, though, does this really matter? They are still
muchloved memories and perhaps we can learn about ourselves from them. Often these
memories are strong indicators of who we are, or would like to be, and exchanging first
memories with others fosters connection and intimacy. Such factors represent important elements
of our humanity, whether or not the memory itself is completely accurate.

Questions 27 – 31

Choose YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer of the text,

Choose NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer, or

Choose NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.

27 People ought to be pleased when asked, ‘What is your earliest memory?’

28 Most research subjects have surprisingly similar first memories.
29 Negative first memories are more interesting than positive ones.
30 In the past, academics completed enough studies of earliest memories.
31 Experiments using witnesses to events have provided reliable results.

Questions 32 – 35
Choose the correct answer.

32 The writer refers to American and Asian children

A to suggest that most people’s earliest memories are of themselves.

B to illustrate how earliest memories reflect cultural values.
C to contrast two methods of researching earliest memories.
D to explain why some earliest memories last longer than others.

33 In the fourth paragraph, the writer concludes that earliest memories

A may depend on an adult’s sense of identity.

B might not affect later character development.
C could help an adult select a suitable career.

D should not influence decisions in later life.

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34 What is the writer’s main point in the fifth paragraph?

A Certain types of memories are often invented.

B Members of the same family have similar memories.
C Some people have more reliable memories than others.

D Memories are constructed from a variety of sources.

35 What is the writer doing in the final paragraph?

A asking why false memories are so common
B arguing for more research into false memories
C suggesting that false memories still have value
D comparing the value of true and false memories

Questions 36 – 40
Choose the correct explanation (A – G) for each term.

36 semantic memory
37 childhood amnesia
38 autobiographical memory
39 reminiscence bump
40 flashbulb memory

List of explanations
A It describes recollections that are associated with very strong emotions.
B It is associated with a period of our lives that we would like to return to.
C It describes the period after which lifelong memories begin.
D It is associated with the memories that we recall most vividly.
E It describes certain events that we wish we could forget.
F It describes hard facts, such as when or where an event happened.
G It is associated with a story we have created about ourselves.