Motives for Transmitting and Remembering: A Functional Analysis of Intergenerational Memory Transmission in the Family

Abstract

Intergenerational memories help shape identity, transmit values, and sustain family relationships. Across three studies, we examined how parents, grandparents, and young adult children or grandchildren evaluate the functions of memories shared across generations. Older generations reported their reasons for transmitting important personal and public events, whereas young adults rated how they used vicarious memories received from parents or grandparents. Parents attributed greater functional relevance to the memories they shared than children did, particularly for teaching and problem-solving purposes. Grandparents and grandchildren showed fewer differences, though grandparents endorsed higher motives related to bitterness revival, boredom reduction, intimacy maintenance, and teaching than grandchildren reported using. Direct comparisons further revealed that vicarious memories from grandparents were perceived as more socially and identity relevant than those from parents. Across studies, personal events were consistently rated as more functional than public ones. Together, these findings highlight how family storytelling serves different functions across generations.