Evidence Against Depiction as Fiction: A Comment on “Fictional First Memories” (Akhtar, Justice, Morrison, & Conway, 2018)
Abstract
In “Fictional First Memories,” Akhtar, Justice, Morrison, and Conway (2018) assert that roughly 40% of 6,641 adults’ earliest memories are fictional because these respondents dated their earliest memories from the age of 2 years or younger. “Fictional” memories, in their assessment, may include fragments of actual events. They do not, however, represent lived experience because “children below the age of 2 to 3 years cannot form autobiographical memories” thus making it impossible “for adults to recall such memories” (p. 1613). We agree with the contention that memories may feature some fiction—elements that never actually happened may be a part of memories from any point in life. Moreover, reports of very early experiences may be especially vulnerable to social influences (e.g., family stories). Yet we take issue with Akhtar et al.’s contention that children 2 years old and younger lack the ability to form and retain memories of their experiences and thus with the conclusion that adults’ recollections from this age period must therefore be fictional. In this Commentary, we examine the substantial evidence of autobiographical remembering before the age of 3 years and raise cautions against categorically dismissing recollections of early life events.
- DOI
- 10.1177/0956797619834510
- Sources
- semanticscholar openalex