On the Beach Study Into Childhood Memory Reveals Brits’ Most Treasured Moments - and Psychology Professor Reveals how We Might Be Able to Remember More - Seite 2

The research also proved Brits are a nostalgic bunch when it comes to looking back on our favourite memories. A staggering 88 per cent said they talk about their best childhood memories with family and old friends, while 20 per cent said looking back on happy memories helped them feel more optimistic about life in general.

Almost half (44%) said they looked through their holiday photos and video footage on a regular basis, and more than a third of parents (37%) said they talk to their children about happy memories they have shared together in a bid to help their children remember their best experiences more clearly.

And the nostalgia didn't end there. Nearly half (41%) of those surveyed admitted they have tried to recreate their best childhood memories with their own children by taking them to the same places they visited when they were young.

The survey also revealed 51 per cent admit to keeping mementoes from childhood such as holiday souvenirs, concert tickets and diaries.

When it came to the influence holidays have on families, 63 per cent said holidays helped them feel closer to their loved ones, while 46 per cent said they were less likely to have family arguments on holiday than at home.

Professor Peter Kinderman commented on how happy childhood memories are constructed and stored as we enter adulthood, and how our early memories are used to help us navigate the world in future. He said: "Philosophers and psychologists agree that we are what we remember - our self concept, our understanding of ourselves, of other people and the way the world works all depend on our memories.

"Our sense of who we are and our capacity to be happy and fulfilled is hugely dependent on our memories. In mental health, traumatic and unpleasant memories from childhood and the ways in which we get on with our parents are supremely important in determining our mood.

"It's also true that memories, including folklore type memories, and these days films, books and great literature, are all important in terms of giving us tactics for solving problems in our lives. If our kids are scared on the first day of new school, we say; "do you remember when you joined Brownies, you didn't like Brownies on the first day, were you scared?" And they say "yes", and you say, "well you're scared of going to school, it's just like Brownies…" Of course, kids are kids, so it never really goes according to plan, but the point is that we learn how to navigate the world using our memories.