Elif YILDIRIM, Ezgi SONCU BÜYÜKİŞCAN, Merve ÇOLAK, Sümeyye AKPINAR, Busenur ALTAN

Çocukluk Çağı Amnezisi: Hatırlanan İlk Çocukluk Anısı Yaşı ile İlişkili Faktörler

Çocukluk amnezisi, gelişimin erken evrelerinde üretilen otobiyografik anıların yetişkinlik döneminde tam olarak hatırlanamaması olarak tanımlanan bir durumdur. Genel olarak hatırlanan ilk anıların ortalama 3- 4 yaşa ait olduğu kabul edilse de, ilk çocukluk anısının ait olduğu yaş tartışmalıdır. Bu çalışmada genç yetişkinlerde hatırlanan ilk çocukluk anısına ait yaşın belirlenmesi ve cinsiyet, anıya ilişkin faktörler, bağlanma stilleri ve çocukluk çağı travmatik olaylarının anı yaşı üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmaya 137 üniversite öğrencisi katılmıştır. Katılımcılardan hatırladıkları ilk anıyı yazmaları ve anının yaşı ile sıradanlık düzeyi, netliği, emosyonel yoğunluğu, bütünlüğü gibi anı özelliklerini değerlendiren anketi doldurmaları istenmiştir. Buna ek olarak katılımcıların erken travmatik deneyimleri ve bağlanma stilleri de değerlendirilmiştir. Katılımcıların hatırladıkları ilk çocukluk anısına ait yaşın 24 ve 95 ay arasında değiştiği ve ortalamanın 52.44 (SS = 16.77) ay olduğu bulunmuştur. Kadın katılımcılarda ilk anı yaşının erkek katılımcılara kıyasla anlamlı düzeyde daha düşük olduğu saptanmıştır. Cinsiyete ek olarak, çocukluk çağında yaşanan ebeveynler arasındaki ilişkiye dair travmatik olayların varlığı ilk anı yaşı ile ilişkili bir diğer faktör olarak ön plana çıkmıştır. Çocukluk çağı amnezisi otobiyografik belleğin ortaya çıkışının bir işareti olarak düşünülmektedir. Bulgular cinsiyet gibi bireysel özelliklere ek olarak erken çocukluk çağı deneyimlerinin çocukluk çağı amnezisi ile ilişkili olduğunu öne sürmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Bellek, çocukluk çağı, amnezi

Childhood Amnesia: Factors Related to the Age of First Childhood Memory

Childhood amnesia is a state which is characterized by an inability to fully remember autobiographical memories formed in the early stages of development. Although it is generally accepted that the earliest memories belong to the ages of 3 or 4, the exact age to which the first childhood memory belongs is still debatable. This study aims to identify the age of a first childhood memory, and to investigate the effects of gender, factors related to that memory, attachment style and childhood traumatic experiences on the age of first memory. A total of 137 university students participated in the study. Participants were asked to write down their first memory and fill out a survey that asked for the age and features of the memory such as the level of ordinariness, clarity, emotional intensity, and integrity. In addition, participants’ early traumatic experiences and attachment styles were assessed. The results indicated that the age to which first memory belongs ranges between 24 and 95 months, with a mean of 52.44 (SD = 16.77) months. The age of the earliest memory was significantly younger for women compared to men. In addition to gender, early traumatic experiences related to parents’ relationships emerged as another significant predictor of the age of the earliest memory. Childhood amnesia is perceived as an indicator of the development of autobiographical memory. Our findings suggest that in addition to personal characteristics such as gender, childhood amnesia is also related to early childhood experiences.

Keywords:

Memory, childhood, amnesia,

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