A redefinition of the reminiscence bump in the light of cultural scripts, identity construction, and traumatic events
Type de matériel :
TexteLangue : français Détails de publication : 2025.
Ressources en ligne : Abrégé : The reminiscence bump refers to the increased availability of memories of events that occurred during a specific period of life, typically between the ages of ten and thirty.The scientific literature attributes its origin to three distinct, but not mutually exclusive, factors: the novelty of the experiences, their conformity to cultural scripts, and their central role in the construction of personal identity. Recent research tends to focus on the interaction between the latter two factors, cultural scripts and identity construction, as determinant in the reminiscence bump effect. Life experiences that align with cultural scripts thus serve as landmarks in the process of identity construction, potentially contributing to reinforcing their availability in memory.This results in a reminiscence bump, widely recognized in the literature as a largely ubiquitous phenomenon, consistently observed regardless of sex, culture, age, or cognitive state. However, this effect can be profoundly altered within the context of a potentially traumatic period in life.Recent studies highlight that such a period may lead to a reorganization of memory: the traditional bump may be attenuated or eliminated, and a new bump may emerge, centered on the period corresponding to the trauma. Increased accessibility of memories from the time of the event is sometimes reported.This reorganization can be explained by both concrete biographical disruptions (interruptions to life trajectories), cognitive mechanisms such as the questioning of fundamental beliefs, and the integration of the traumatic memory into the self-concept.The trauma may thus become the central reference point around which autobiographical memory is organized, acting as a lens through which the individual organizes, perceives, and interprets their entire life course, thereby shaping their understanding of the self, the world, and the evaluation of future experiences. The impact on identity varies widely, ranging from resilience to the pathological centrality of the traumatic memory.
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The reminiscence bump refers to the increased availability of memories of events that occurred during a specific period of life, typically between the ages of ten and thirty.The scientific literature attributes its origin to three distinct, but not mutually exclusive, factors: the novelty of the experiences, their conformity to cultural scripts, and their central role in the construction of personal identity. Recent research tends to focus on the interaction between the latter two factors, cultural scripts and identity construction, as determinant in the reminiscence bump effect. Life experiences that align with cultural scripts thus serve as landmarks in the process of identity construction, potentially contributing to reinforcing their availability in memory.This results in a reminiscence bump, widely recognized in the literature as a largely ubiquitous phenomenon, consistently observed regardless of sex, culture, age, or cognitive state. However, this effect can be profoundly altered within the context of a potentially traumatic period in life.Recent studies highlight that such a period may lead to a reorganization of memory: the traditional bump may be attenuated or eliminated, and a new bump may emerge, centered on the period corresponding to the trauma. Increased accessibility of memories from the time of the event is sometimes reported.This reorganization can be explained by both concrete biographical disruptions (interruptions to life trajectories), cognitive mechanisms such as the questioning of fundamental beliefs, and the integration of the traumatic memory into the self-concept.The trauma may thus become the central reference point around which autobiographical memory is organized, acting as a lens through which the individual organizes, perceives, and interprets their entire life course, thereby shaping their understanding of the self, the world, and the evaluation of future experiences. The impact on identity varies widely, ranging from resilience to the pathological centrality of the traumatic memory.




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