Gender Differences and Similarities in Autobiographical Memory for Eudaimonic Happy Events

Abstract

This study investigates the gender differences and similarities in autobiographical memory for eudaimonic happy events. One hundred and eighty-six adults were asked to write personal narratives of meaningful life experiences that enabled them to develop their best potentials. They also completed questionnaires assessing the memory features of reported experiences, the centrality of such experiences for the individual’s identity, and the participants’ well-being. The analysis of narratives revealed that, overall, male and female participants reported eudaimonic experiences which were quite similar in content. Multivariate analyses were also conducted to assess the impact of gender on narrative and questionnaire measures of memory characteristics. Results showed that gender did not have a significant effect on any of the assessed memory characteristics; that is, there were substantial similarities in how male and female participants narrated and assessed their recollections. Findings are interpreted taking into account the current psychology literature on gender differences and similarities.