51ÉçÇøºÚÁÏ

Abstract: Remembering is often viewed as a solitary activity that serves individual cognitive needs. However, in practice, people frequently share their memories with others, and this act of memory sharing likely serves important social functions. In this talk, I argue that shared memories support vicarious learning—the process of learning from others’ past experiences, including their successes and mistakes, without direct exposure. While vicarious learning operates across various domains, it plays a particularly significant role in social life. Through shared memories—especially those involving absent third parties, or gossip—people learn about group norms and the consequences of violating them. This perspective highlights that memory is not only a tool for individual reasoning but also a socially embedded process. Acts of remembering are often shaped by the values, expectations, and shared concerns of the social groups to which individuals belong.