Adults' self-representations may act as an important resource in the aging process. Similarly, one of the intrapersonal functions of autobiographical memory (AM), the identity function, may also be of particular importance for individuals as they negotiate the challenges of adult development and aging. This proposal links self-concept theory and AM theory. In particular, age differences in the content of self-defining memories incorporated into adults' self-representations will be examined. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess these relationships. The sample will consist of 210 young, middle-aged and older adults. Participants will share three self-defining AMs expected to serve the identity function. In order to explore the connection between self-defining memories and self-representations, self-attributes will be gathered from the AM narratives and subsequently used in a timed semantic recognition task. Self-report measures of individual differences and psychological well-being will be administered to examine the link between self-representations, self-defining AMs and individual difference variables. Qualitative characteristics of the AMs will be coded for content and coherence, permitting exploration of age differences. This proposal is unique in that it explicitly connects two major theoretical frameworks in an attempt to contribute to the literature in a constructive and meaningful way.
