Another approach to examining whether episodic memory and future thinking
share some fundamental underpinnings is to study these abilities in development. The
possible relationship between memory and future thinking has been a source of explosive
EPISODIC MEMORY AND FUTURE THINKING 7
interest in the cognitive psychology and neuroscience field in recent years. However,
few studies have examined memory and future thinking in tandem in children. Children
represent a population in which episodic memory and future thinking naturally vary and
improve, particularly between the ages of three and five. Episodic memory and future
thinking may develop similarly if they also rely on the same neurocognitive resources.
An attempt to test this claim requires further examination of both capacities in typically
developing children. Developmental research can offer crucial and influential
contributions to the study of the future thinking and its link to memory, especially as the
majority of studies have been mainly limited to healthy adult or clinical populations.