Developmental and Intervention-Related Change in Autobiographical Memory Specificity in Maltreated Children: Indirect Effects of Maternal Reminiscing.

This study examined the development of autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) in a longitudinal randomized controlled trial of 242 maltreated and nonmaltreated children (aged 36-86 months; 50.4% male; 39.7% Black, 25.9% White, 34.5% Latinx/other) and their mothers. Half of the maltreated families were randomized to receive an intervention to improve maternal reminiscing. The effects of maltreatment and the intervention on children's AMS via two indices of maternal reminiscing, sensitive guidance, and elaboration, were evaluated. Bidirectional associations between AMS and child maladjustment were also examined. Intervention-related improvement in maternal sensitive guidance 6-month postintervention (b* = .36) related to greater AMS among maltreated children 1 year later (b* = .19). These findings underscore the role of maternal sensitive guidance in facilitating AMS.