20/07/2025
Couples Share More Than Love — They Literally Share Memory
New research shows that couples develop "distributed cognition" — meaning their brains work together to store and retrieve information.
🧩 Memory: A Team Effort
Studies reveal that memory isn't just an individual process. Couples often rely on each other to remember events, solve problems, and fill in gaps — creating a shared memory system.
🔁 The Good & The Complicated
Collaboration can improve memory by filling in missing details.
But it can also introduce errors, especially if one partner recalls something incorrectly.
🧠 Why It Matters
This research reshapes how we think about memory and relationships — showing how interconnected minds can enhance (or complicate) everyday thinking and problem-solving.
source
Harris, C. B., Barnier, A. J., Sutton, J., & Keil, P. G. (2014). Couples as socially distributed cognitive systems: Remembering in everyday social and material contexts. Memory Studies, 7(3), 285-297.