Features of Successful and Unsuccessful Collaborative Memory Conversations in Long‐Married Couples

Abstract

While we often engage in conversational reminiscing with loved ones, the effects of these conversations on our memory performance remain poorly understood. On the one hand, Wegner's transactive memory theory predicts that intimate groups experience benefits from remembering together. On the other hand, research on collaborative recall has shown costs of shared remembering in groups of strangers-at least in terms of number of items recalled-and even in intimate groups there is heterogeneity in outcomes. In the current research, we studied the effects of particular communicative features in determining the outcomes of collaborative recall in intimate groups. We tested 39 older, long-married couples. They completed a non-personal recall task (name all the countries in Europe) and a personal recall task (name all your mutual friends), both separately and together. When they collaborated, we recorded their conversation. We coded for specific "communication variables" and obtained measures of "conversational style." Overall, we found two clusters of communication variables positively associated with collaborative success: (a) cuing each other, responding to cues, and repeating each other; and (b) making positive statements about memory performance and persisting with the task. A negative cluster of behaviors-correcting each other, having uneven expertise, and strategy disagreements-was associated with less interactive, more "monologue" style of collaboration, but not with overall recall performance. We discuss our results in terms of the importance of different conversational processes in driving the heterogeneous outcomes of group remembering in intimate groups, suggesting that a focus on recall output alone limits our understanding of conversational remembering.

The influence of members’ relationship on collaborative remembering

“…)。在随后的一系列实验室研究中, 为了避免社 会关系和社交目的对记忆结果可能产生的额外影 响, 研究招募具有陌生关系的青年人组成小组, 使 用类别词单作为实验材料, 严格操控编码和提取变 量 , 如编码阶段学习顺序的一致性 (Finlay et al, 2000)、学习内容的相似度 (Zhang et al, 2017 (Gould & Dixon, 1993;Kemper et al, 1994)、纪实类 (Usita et al, 1998) 和前瞻记忆任务 (Margrett et al, 2011) Wegner, 1987;Wegner et al, 1985), 用以共同编 码、储存和提取信息 (Grysman et al, 2020) (Harris et al, 2011;Harris et al, 2014;Harris et al, 2017;Harris et al, 2019;Meade et al, 2009 Gould et al, 2002;Harris et al, 2011;Ross et al, 2004 (Hollingshead, 1998a(Hollingshead, , 1998bWegner et al, 1991)…”

Remembering in the wild: recontextualising and reconciling studies of media and memory

“…An example is the work of Kath Bicknell, John Sutton, Celia Harris, Amanda Barnier, and others (see Sutton et al 2020; or Bicknell and Sutton's 2022 book on Collaborative Embodied Performance: Ecologies of Skill , for more developed examples from a different field). Building on a research programme spanning more than a decade, which includes collaborative remembering experiments with couples in their homes (Barnier et al 2018; Harris et al 2014, 2018, 2022; Sutton et al 2010), they simultaneously conducted an ethnographic study of two couples as they participated in those experiments. Participant observation, analysis of video footage and semi-structured interviews with these two couples generated insights beyond the experimental data.…”

Perceived listening ability and hearing loss: Systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis

“…Theme 4, which presented communication as a dynamic, reciprocal process with communication partners playing a key role in ensuring communicative success for the person with HL, underscores Frith's proposition that explicit metacognition is, in part, socially constructed. Recent work from Harris et al (2019) applies this understanding to investigate memory collaboration in elderly couples. Findings from this study demonstrate that couples used established, sensitive and dynamic communication strategies to enhance recall [97].…”

“…Recent work from Harris et al (2019) applies this understanding to investigate memory collaboration in elderly couples. Findings from this study demonstrate that couples used established, sensitive and dynamic communication strategies to enhance recall [97]. A review by Cooke et al also describes overt modifications to speech directed at listeners with HL aimed at promoting audibility, increasing coherence, enhancing linguistic information or decreasing cognitive effort associated with the listening task [98].…”