The effects of parental reminiscing on preschoolers’ episodic memory: A randomized controlled trial

Parental reminiscing style (PRS) – the way parents reminisce with their child – has been shown to influence preschooler’s memory development. PRS can be trained through brief interventions. To date, the direct effects of PRS improvements on preschoolers’ episodic memory skills remain unclear. In the experimental group, 21 parents received an 8-session hybrid training (e-learning and supervision) and children’s episodic memory was assessed twice (a story-recall task and a long-term binding memory task before and after the training). In comparison to a passive control group, significant improvements in PRS (e.g., evaluations, metamemory talk) were found. However, immediately after the training, no significant difference was revealed between children from both groups. Our assumption is that the effects of changes in PRS on children’s memory may be observed later in time.