Transactive Memory

Today, I've notice - several times - that something was wrong in my mind: I was (still) less able to concentrate than usual, still less able to remember details about things I just finished doing or learning... Yes, my mind was wondering, very dynamically, from one thing to another, from one person to another, scrutinizing everything, looking for the minimum detail... to forgot it almost inmediately. I was creating a univers only to live in it a few seconds, since another queue to another univers came to my desk brighting even more. And every idea followed a few moments of insane pain. It this pain intrinsec to change? This idea welcomes the concept of Transactive Memory.

But... what the heck is memory? When we talk about memory, we aren't just talking about ideas and impressions and facts stored around our heads. Let's look at people that know well one each other, they have created an implicit joint memory system between them, a Transactive Memory system. This Transactive Memory system is based on an understandig about who is best suited to remember what kind of things. Relationships development is often understood as a process of mutual disclossure. Although it is probably more romantic to cast this process as one of interpersonal revelation and acceptantce, it can also be appreciate as a necessary precursor to Transactive Memory. Transactive Memory is part of what intimacy means. The loss of this kind of joint memory helps to make divorce so painful. The loss of Transactive Memory feels like losing a part of one's mind, since is the lost of our more automatized references to the day-to-day living.

In a family, this process of memory storing is even more pronounced. Most of us remember, at one time, only a fraction of the day-to-day details and histories of our family life. But we know implicitely, where to go to find the answers to our questions. Perhaps more important, when new info arises, we know who should have responsability for storing it. This is how in a family, expertise emerges. It is no hard to understand: since mental energy is limited we tend to concentrate on what we do best. And we keep on doing over time: adapting to changes costs energy.