Wang Q
Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-4401, USA.
J Pers Soc Psychol. 2001 Aug;81(2):220-33. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.81.2.220.
American and Chinese college students (N = 256) reported their earliest childhood memory on a memory questionnaire and provided self-descriptions on a shortened 20 Statements Test (M. H. Kuhn & T. S. McPartland, 1954). The average age at earliest memory of Americans was almost 6 months earlier than that of Chinese. Americans reported lengthy, specific, self-focused, and emotionally elaborate memories; they also placed emphasis on individual attributes in describing themselves. Chinese provided brief accounts of childhood memories centering on collective activities, general routines, and emotionally neutral events; they also included a great number of social roles in their self-descriptions. Across the entire sample, individuals who described themselves in more self-focused and positive terms provided more specific and self-focused memories. Findings are discussed in light of the interactive relation between autobiographical memory and cultural self-construal.
美国和中国的大学生（N = 256）在一份记忆问卷上报告了他们最早的童年记忆，并在一份缩短版的20项陈述测验（M. H. 库恩和T. S. 麦克帕特兰，1954年）中提供了自我描述。美国人最早记忆的平均年龄比中国人早近6个月。美国人报告的记忆冗长、具体、以自我为中心且情感丰富；他们在描述自己时也强调个人特质。中国人对童年记忆的描述简短，以集体活动、日常惯例和情感中立的事件为中心；他们在自我描述中还包含了大量社会角色。在整个样本中，用更以自我为中心和积极的方式描述自己的个体提供了更具体、以自我为中心的记忆。研究结果根据自传体记忆与文化自我建构之间的互动关系进行了讨论。
