Remembering history: Autobiographical memory for the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdowns, psychological adjustment, and their relation over time

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined age‐ and gender‐related differences in autobiographical memory about the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdowns and whether the content of these memories predicted psychological adjustment over time. A sample of 247 students (Mage = 11.94, range 8–16 years, 51.4% female, 85.4% White) was recruited from public and private schools in Denmark and assessed three times from June 2020 to June 2021. The findings showed that memories weakened over time in detail and emotional valence. Additionally, psychological well‐being decreased over time, with adolescent females faring the worst. Critically, memories including higher levels of negative affect and factual information about COVID‐19 and the lockdown predicted worse psychological well‐being over time, underscoring aspects of autobiographical memory that might help attenuate the negative consequences of the lockdown.