The Enduring Effects of Mother–Child Interactions on Episodic Memory in Adulthood

• Main Authors: Sharifian, N. (Author), Zahodne, L.B (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2019
• Subjects: cognitive aging; early social environment; education; lifespan perspective
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the enduring effects of retrospective reports of early-life mother–child interactions on psychosocial and cognitive functioning later in life. Background: Mother–child interactions have been linked to cognitive outcomes in childhood, however, little work has examined whether early-life mother–child interactions have far-reaching effects on episodic memory in adulthood. Early-life mother–child interactions may also influence cognitive functioning in adulthood indirectly through the development of academic competence (education attainment), social competence (marital satisfaction, social support, contact frequency) or depressive symptoms. Methods: Using longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study sibling respondents (T1: 1993–1994, T2: 2004–2007, T3: 2011; baseline 29–79 years), we examined how retrospective positive mother–child interactions (PMCI) and negative mother–child interactions (NMCI) were independently associated with episodic memory. Structural equation modeling was used to model direct and indirect pathways from PMCI and NMCI to episodic memory and latent change in episodic memory. Results: More PMCI retrospectively reported at T1 were associated with higher T2 memory and less memory decline from T2 to T3 via higher education. In addition, more PMCI were associated with higher T2 memory through greater marital satisfaction. Independent of these indirect effects, more PMCI and NMCI were each associated with higher T2 memory, but not memory change. Conclusion: Mother–child interactions appeared to have an enduring effect on episodic memory in adulthood. These findings highlight the importance of taking an integrative and lifespan approach to assessing how early-life experiences affect socioemotional and cognitive development. © 2019 National Council on Family Relations