reminiscence bump

[ rem-uh-nis-uhns buhmp ]

noun

, Psychology.

1. an observed tendency among adults over the age of 40 to have memories from their adolescence and early adulthood that are more numerous, more clearly recalled, and more pleasant or positive than those from any other period of their life.

Word History and Origins

Origin of reminiscence bump¹

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Music is one of our strongest memory triggers, plus, scientists say that our brains experience something called a “reminiscence bump” that allows us to better remember things that took place between adolescence and our early 20s.

From Washington Post

In our study, my colleagues and I investigated the presence of the "musical reminiscence bump" in a group of 470 adults who were between 18 and 82 years old.

From Salon

One particularly notable phenomenon is the "reminiscence bump": the fact that people tend to disproportionately recall memories from when they were 10 to 30 years old.

From Salon

This music-related reminiscence bump peaked around age 14: songs popular when participants were this age evoked the most memories overall.

From Salon

It has been shown that when people are asked to choose their favourite record it is likely to come from the reminiscence bump period, and that older adults know more about music from their youth than current pop songs.

From Salon