ABSTRACT
Reminiscing, or talking about the past with others, is a critical part of our autobiographical memories. Autobiographical memories are private and uniquely our own, but they are simultaneously public property because they usually involve other people. A primary function of reminiscing is social (Hyman & Faries, 1992): We talk with others about our past to highlight events that were meaningful to those involved, as well as to illustrate our own personality characteristics. Thus, reminiscing is inherently social as well as a means of self-presentation.
