兒時記憶良多 成人後它們都有什麼威力?大綱

What you can remember from age 3 may help improve aspects of your life far into adulthood.

從三歲開始的記憶，也許有助於改善你成年後相當長時期內生活的方方面面。

Children who have the ability to recall and make sense of memories from daily life -- the first day of preschool, the time the cat died -- can use them to better develop a sense of identity, form relationships and make sound choices in adolescence and adulthood, new research shows.

最新研究發現，那些能夠回想起日常生活片段並且理解其意義的兒童——比如記得幼兒園第一天入學，那隻熟悉的貓死去的情形——可以利用這些記憶在青少年及成年時期更好地發展身份認同感、建立人際關係以及做出正確的選擇。

While the lives of many youngsters today are heavily documented in photos and video on social media and stored in families' digital archives, studies suggest photos and videos have little impact. Parents play a bigger role in helping determine not just how many early memories children can recall, but how children interpret and learn from the events of their earliest experiences.

雖然現在很多年輕人的生活大部分都記錄在社交媒體上的照片和視頻裏，或者儲存在家庭的數字檔案中，但研究表明，照片和視頻的影響很小。家長髮揮的作用更大，他們不僅能決定孩子能回想起多少早期的兒時記憶，還會影響到孩子如何對最早期經歷的事件進行解讀和學習。

'Our personal memories define who we are. They bond us together,' says Robyn Fivush, a psychology professor at Emory University in Atlanta and an author of dozens of studies on the topic. Children whose parents encourage reminiscing and storytelling about daily events show better coping and problem-solving skills by their preteens, and fewer symptoms of depression, research shows.

圖表：更有助孩子思考的對話方式在該問題上發表過數十項研究的亞特蘭大埃默裏大學(Emory University)心理學教授羅賓·菲伍什(Robyn Fivush)說：“我們的記憶決定了我們是什麼樣的人。記憶是聯結我們的紐帶。”研究表明，受到家長鼓勵回憶並講述日常事件的兒童，在青春期前表現出更好的應對和解決問題的能力，抑鬱的症狀也更少。

The findings come from research on the mysteries of 'childhood amnesia' -- the fact that most people's earliest memories fade by ages 6 to 8 as the brain hasn't yet developed the capacity to retain them.

這些研究結果來自對“兒時記憶缺失”(childhood amnesia)謎團的研究。大多數人最早期的記憶會在6歲到8歲時逐漸消失，因爲大腦尚未發育出保留這些記憶的能力。

In the past two years, new research techniques -- including improved data-modeling methods and growth in studies that track children's memories over several years -- have identified specific behaviors that help kids as old as 9 retain more vivid, detailed early memories.

過去兩年，新的研究技術——包括更先進的數據建模方法，以及對兒童多年記憶進行跟蹤研究的更成熟的手段——找到了那些有助於兒童到9歲還能保留鮮活詳細的早期記憶的特定行爲。

Few childhood memory studies have included fathers. Ones with fathers show mothers are more likely to use a conversation style that helps children retain early memories.

在兒時記憶的研究中，大部分都沒有考慮到父親的因素。那些納入了父親影響的研究表明，母親更常用的談話式風格有助於孩子保留早期記憶。

Some memories help build a sense of self-continuity, or personal identity, says a 2011 study. People recall these memories when they 'want to feel that I am the same person that I was before,' or 'when I want to understand how I have changed from who I was before.' A hurricane survivor, for example, might recall the memory as proof that she can survive tough experiences and grow stronger as a result.

2011年的一項研究稱，有些記憶有助於建立自我延續感或者自我身份認同。人們在“希望覺得自己還是以前那個自己”，或者“我想知道跟以前相比有了什麼變化”的時候，就會浮現出這些記憶。比如一個颶風倖存者可能會把颶風的記憶當作她可以在艱難環境中生存下來並變得更強大的證據。

Other memories serve a directive function, and guide behavior. People recall these when making decisions or to avoid repeating past mistakes. A person whose dog was killed by a car is likely to call on that memory when deciding to keep pets on a leash.

有些記憶則會起到指導的作用，可以指引人的行爲。人們在做決定或者想避免重複過去錯誤的時候會想起這些經歷。如果自己的狗曾被車撞死，在決定用繩子拴住寵物的時候就有可能想起這段經歷。

A third type, social-bonding memories, involve relationships with others. People recall these when they want to strengthen relationships or form new ties, the study says. A college student who participated in a different study cited bedtime-reading sessions with his father, who read him the entire 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, as a motivator to build and maintain strong family ties in his adult life.

第三種叫做社交紐帶記憶，涉及到人際關係。這項研究稱，人們在希望加強關係或形成新的關係時會想起這種記憶。一名大學生在另外一項研究中提到，父親曾在睡前給他講故事，給他念了整個《指環王》(Lord of the Rings)三部曲，他說這是促使他成年後建立和保持親密家庭關係的一個因素。

The ability to draw on all three types of memories predicts higher psychological well-being, a greater sense of purpose and more positive relationships, according to a study of 103 college students published last year in the journal Memory. The students were asked to recall four life events and cite reasons they regarded them as significant. Then they filled out assessments gauging their life satisfaction, self-esteem and psychological well-being.

一項去年發表於《記憶》(Memory)期刊的研究表明，如果這三種類型的記憶都能夠存留，就可以預測出一個人的心理狀況將更健康，目標感更強，人際關係也更積極。這項研究的對象是103名大學生，他們被要求回憶人生中的四件大事，並講出他們認爲這四個事件重要的原因。接着他們填寫了衡量生活滿意度、自尊心和心理健康狀況的評估表。

Also, kids who can recall more specific memories are able to come up with more potential solutions to social problems, according to a 2011 University of New Hampshire study of 83 children ages 10 to 15.

此外，新罕布什爾大學(University of New Hampshire)2011年對83名10至15歲兒童所做的研究表明，記憶越具體的兒童越能夠對社會問題提出更多可能的解決辦法。

Widaad Zaman, a co-author of studies on memory, says early memories help her 4-year-old daughter Haneefah build a sense of identity. She used to love petting dogs being walked by their neighbors, Dr. Zaman says. When a stray dog ran up to her in the family's garage in Orlando, Fla., barking and sniffing at her, however, 'she was screaming, and very scared,' Dr. Zaman says. The memory has made Haneefah cautious around dogs that aren't on a leash. She sometimes tells her mother, 'I used to be a person who liked dogs, but now I'm a person that doesn't like dogs.'

Ammar Ally製造記憶：維達德•扎曼和當時三歲的女兒哈妮法。來自佛羅里達州奧蘭多、合作寫過記憶研究報告的維達德·扎曼(Widaad Zaman)說，早期記憶對她四歲的女兒哈妮法(Haneefah)建立身份認同感有幫助。她說，女兒以前喜歡在鄰居遛狗的時候撫摸小狗。不過，後來一隻流浪狗跑到她家的車庫裏，向她大叫並且在她身上聞來聞去時，“她尖叫起來，而且非常害怕”。這段記憶讓哈妮法對沒有被拴住的狗有了警惕。有時她會告訴媽媽：“我以前是個喜歡狗的人，但現在我是個不喜歡狗的人。”

The incident helped Haneefah learn to talk about her emotions -- an ability linked in research to coping skills. Dr. Zaman encouraged her to describe her feelings and gave them a name -- fear. 'Were there other times when you were scared or you felt very frightened?' she asked. Haneefah has since learned to start conversations about her emotions, telling her mother, 'I had a bad dream and I was scared,' Dr. Zaman says.

這件事讓哈妮法學會了談論自己的情感——研究表明這是一種和應對技能相關的能力。扎曼鼓勵女兒描述自己的感覺並且給這種感覺起名字——恐懼。她問女兒：“其他時候你有沒有害怕或者感覺非常恐懼過？”從此哈妮法開始學會討論自己的情感，她告訴媽媽：“我做了個噩夢，我很害怕。”

Few adults remember much before they were 3.5 years old, on average. Some people have credible memories from as early as 18 months of age, however, while others can't recall much before the age of 8, says Patricia Bauer, a psychologist and a senior associate dean for research at Emory.

一般來說，能夠記得三歲半以前事情的成年人寥寥無幾 。埃默裏大學心理學家、負責研究的高級副院長帕特里夏·鮑爾(Patricia Bauer)說，有人對18個月時的事就有可靠的記憶，但有人連八歲以前的事都記不起來。

Early memories have a higher likelihood of surviving when children are encouraged to talk about them soon after the event. Adults can guide them to tell 'a good story, that has a beginning, middle and an end,' and help them talk about what it means, says Dr. Bauer, a leading researcher on the topic. The key behavior by mothers is 'deflecting' conversation back to the child -- that is, tossing the ball back to the child repeatedly by asking, say, 'We really had fun, didn't we?' or, 'Tell me more,' she says, based on findings published last year.

如果在事件發生後不久，孩子受到鼓勵把事情講出來，早期記憶保留下來的可能性就更大。該領域研究的領軍人物鮑爾說，成年人可以引導他們講“一個好聽的故事，有開端、發展和結局的完整故事”，幫助他們講出故事的意義。她說，去年發表的研究結果表明，媽媽們最關鍵的行爲就是把談話“引回”給孩子——也就是不斷把話頭扔給孩子，比如，她們可以說“我們玩得很開心，不是嗎？”或者“再多說些”。

Children with mothers who have a 'highly elaborative style' of reminiscing with their kids, asking open-ended who, what, where and when questions, are able at ages 4 and 5 to recall earlier, more detailed memories than other children, research shows. Parents with a more 'repetitive' style of reminiscing, who ask questions with one-word answers and simply repeat them if the child can't respond, have children with fewer and less vivid recollections.

研究表明，如果母親引導孩子回憶事件時採用“高度詳述的談話風格”，向孩子提出“誰”、“什麼”、“哪裏”或者“什麼時候”這類開放式問題，孩子在四五歲時就能夠比其他孩子重拾更早、更詳細的記憶。如果父母在回憶時更多地採用“重複”的風格，問的問題一個詞就能回答，而且孩子回答不出時只是簡單地重複問題，那麼孩子的記憶會更少，也不會那麼生動。

The elaborative method proved to be easy to learn says Catherine Haden, a psychology professor at Loyola University Chicago, a co-author of a 2003 study of parents of 39 preschoolers. Researchers gave parents a pamphlet to read, then showed them a video describing the elaborative style of conversing with children. Mothers who had the training readily adopted the elaborative style during a staged camping activity, and their kids recalled more details when questioned about the trip later.

芝加哥洛約拉大學(Loyola University Chicago)心理學教授凱瑟琳·黑登(Catherine Haden)說，研究表明，詳述式方法很容易學。黑登還是2003年一項針對39名學齡前兒童家長所做研究的合着者。研究人員讓家長們看一個小冊子，然後給他們放了一段介紹以詳述式方法和孩子交談的視頻。看過冊子和視頻的媽媽們在一次有組織的宿營活動中很快採用了詳述式方法，她們的孩子後來在回答有關宿營的問題時也回憶起更多的細節。

Dr. Zaman says she sometimes has to make a conscious effort when she's tired or busy to keep tossing the conversational ball back in Haneefah's court. After a boat ride last weekend, Dr. Zaman encouraged Haneefah to describe the splashing of the waves and her favorite part, watching the driver bring the boat to shore. She wants to show Haneefah 'her version of the story matters,' she says.

扎曼說，有時自己太累或太忙，她就得促使自己打起精神努力引導哈妮法交談。上週末坐船回來後，扎曼鼓勵哈妮法描述洶涌的波濤還有她最喜歡的部分——看着船長開船靠岸。她說，她希望讓哈妮法知道“她的視角是很重要的”。

Sue Shellenbarger

Sue Shellenbarger