Document Type

Honors Paper

Advisor

Jefferson Singer

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

The Covid pandemic brought with it a cascade of effects that drastically altered each of our lives. The liminality and uncertainty of this crucial period for students during this time are certain to have long-lasting implications on psychology and personality. The purpose of this study was to examine the enduring memories of students and identify trends among these memories. The research design was correlational, using online questionnaires and multiple correlations. Participants were 97 college students aged 18-24, who provided two of their most significant memories from the Pandemic, followed by responding to questionnaires including prompts that assessed affective qualities of the memories, the Centrality of Events Scale, a Self-Defining Memory Prompt, some questions that assessed lifestyle alterations during the pandemic, and the Covid Transitional Impact Scale. Results showed significant relationships among memory importance, positive affect, and negative affect. Memories rated as more positive were overall rated as more important, and memories that were rated more negatively were generally rated as less important. There was also a significant correlation between event centrality and the self-defining nature of the pandemic memories. These data suggest the resilience of students in this age group in that they seemed to employ redemptive strategies to draw positive meaning from negative events. Also, the most frequent category of pandemic memory for these students was related to relationships, highlighting the importance of alterations to normal social rhythms during the pandemic. Future research should look at longitudinal data to assess the persistent effects of living through the pandemic. Memories should be explored in greater detail to be able to code for recurring patterns and trends.

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The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.