Commentary: Discrepancies Drive Remembering and Show the Particularity of an Individual: A Commentary on Reavey & Brown

Abstract

Remembering is driven by discrepancies (interdependencies) resulting from contradiction and develops toward resolution (stabilization) of them. Reavey and Brown (2009) depict female survivors of child sexual abuse who struggle to stabilize their recollections. By using a mediating network including physical objects, they reduce the indeterminacy of meanings of actions and events and attempt to properly construct identity and agency of participants of abuse including them. The present study of Reavey and Brown has the potential to explore the particularity of an individual. The author and colleagues have concerned themselves with particularity since they were interested in the veracity of an experience through the examination of confession and testimony in criminal cases. The particularity of a certain individual appears in his/her actions, embedded in socio-cultural situations. To explore the personal particularity irreducible to culture will lead us toward further development of cultural psychology. The present study can develop the same interests as the authors.

Keywords

construction of past discrepancies interdependencies personal particularity remembering

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