Autobiographical Memory

Question 1

Cohen 1996

Answer 1

Autobiographical memory provides a store of “recipes” for handling current problems and situations

Question 2

Conway and Beckerian 1987

Answer 2

Structure of AM: lifetime periods, general events, event-specific knowledge

Question 3

Conway 1990

Answer 3

• Predict grades before exams
• Recall predictions after
• Those who did less well - remembered predictions as being lower

Question 4

Conway and Cohen 2008

Answer 4

Introduced adaptive function of AM

Question 5

Rubin 1995

Answer 5

Events high in emotional content are likely to be recalled using observer perspective. Neutral events - field perspective

Question 6

Dewhurst and Marlborough 2003

Answer 6

Memory for exam stress.
•Higher grades than expected - overestimated stress.
•Lower - underestimated

Question 7

Anderson and Dewhurst 2009

Answer 7

Adapted SCEPT to measure the generation of future events. SCEFT. Future less specific than past

Question 8

Linton 1978

Answer 8

Diary studies. 2 memories /day. Recall 2/month. Repeated events faded. Unique - recalled better.
30% - completely forgotten after 6years

Question 9

Crovitz and Schiffman

Answer 9

Cue word technique. Asked to retrieve memories. Dated and plotted.
•Retention function
•Reminiscence bump
•Childhood amnesia
Originally introduced by Galton 1879

Question 10

Functions of AM

Answer 10

1 Directive
2 Social
3 Self-representative
4 Adaptive

Question 11

Seidlitz and Diener 1998

Answer 11

Women are able to recall more events than men

Question 12

AM separate system? Conway et al 1999

Answer 12

PET SCAN - activity during memory task. Activation in left frontal lobe.

Question 13

AM and depression

Answer 13

Often unable to retrieve specific events

Question 14

Retention function. Rubin et al 1986

Answer 14

Memories fade with time. Recent memories recalled better than distant ones

Question 15

Brown, Rips and Shevell 1985

Answer 15

•Rate 50 news events - famous and not. Famous dated as more recent. “Forward telescoping”

Question 16

Skowronski and Thompson 1990

Answer 16

Women more accurate than men at dating AM

Question 17

Kulik and Mahler 1986

Answer 17

• Extraverts overestimated how often they have talked during a “getting - aquainted” conversation
• Introverts - underestimated

Question 18

Marcus 1986

Answer 18

1973 - asked to rate their attitudes towards social issues
1982 - asked to make same ratings and recall previous ones
•Recall was distorted to be closer to current ratings

Question 19

Eich et al 1985

Answer 19

Memory for pain. Chronic pain sufferers currently experiencing high levels of pain overestimated previous levels

Question 20

Parrott and Sabini 1990

Answer 20

College students who just received grades - asked to recall AM.
•Did well - more negative memories than those who did poorly.
•Mood-congruent effect - restore emotional equilubrium

Question 21

Walker et al 2003

Answer 21

• Produce memories and rate them. How often do participants feel happy, sad and neutral.
• 50% - happy
• Sample positive memories to maintain well-being

Question 22

Neissen 1980

Answer 22

Referring to the past is a way of extending social interactions

Question 23

Tulving 1983

Answer 23

“Mental time travel”. Can be forwards or backwards

Autonoetic consciousness

Question 24

Robinson and Swanson 1990

Answer 24

Adaptive function of AM. Recalling experiences - used to maintain desired and alter undesired moods

Question 25

Ales, Bluck, Haberman and Rubin 2005

Answer 25

Social function. Using AM to provide material to converse about

Question 26

Pillemer 2003

Answer 26

Vivid memories of personal experience provide models for present activities and contribute to successful problem solving and adaptation

Question 27

Conway and Pleydell-Pearce 2000

Answer 27

Autobiographical memory is constructed writhing Self-Memory System (SMS).

Question 28

Robinson 1992

Answer 28

“First -time events have particular vividness.

Question 29

Pillemer 2001

Answer 29

Originating events
Turning points
Anchoring events
Analogous events
- ESK - help to resist memory decay