Autobiographical memory

Question 1

What are Autobiographical memories?

Answer 1

your personal history

Semantic, Episodic and procedural memory

Critical defining feature of autobiographical memory is: the importance of information to one’s self of self and one’s life history

Question 2

Outline the first autobiographical memory study

Answer 2

Guy  
75 words 
1 ppts  
Cue words --> retrieve memory  
Francis Galton, 1879 
  First autobiographical memory study  
20 cue words- write down all memories they could think of that that word envoked  
Findings: frequency of memories decreased as function of age of memory  

Crovitz and Schiffman, 1974 - rediscovery of Gatons word cuing technique
Problem: lack of control -> 3rd factor variables etc.

Question 3

Outline a study showing that rehersal matters

Answer 3

PPTs:  
N= 1 
Procedure: 5+ years 
2 events/day  
If she had tested only once, higher chance of memories forgotten- rehearsal matters

Question 4

What are flashbulb memories?

Answer 4

An event happens, won’t forget it

80 ppts how and where they had heard of JFK’s assassination

So iconic memories proposed flashbulb memories
If they recalled circumstances they wrote a lot about it

Conclusion: To have flashbulb memories events must be significant and consequential

Question 5

what are the canonical catagories of flashbulb memories?

Answer 5

Place, ongoing activity, informant, own affect, other affect, Aftermath

Question 6

Outline the OJ simposn study of autobiographical memories?

Answer 6

Study 222 ppts
OJ case:
Flashbulb memories not perfectly preserced, amny high confidenct responces despite not being realistic

Schmolck, Buffalo, & Squire (2000)

Question 7

Outline the 3 stages of autobiographical memory

Answer 7

Infantile Amnesia
Reminiscence bump
forgetting

Question 8

explain infantile amesia

Answer 8

Miles published first account in 1893

• Freud –due to repression

• No memories formed, or some formed but inaccessible
0-5

Question 9

what is Conways hierarchal model of autobiographical memory

Answer 9

Conway (1996)
Hierarchal model of autobiographical memory based on 3 levels of representation

Event specific memories (individual events stored in episodic memory)  
General events(event specific, including highly similar and extended events which are log sequences of connected episodic events)  
 lifetime periods (these are the ways we organise our autobiographical past)

Question 10

Oultine the reminiscnece bump

Answer 10

Teens-30’s
Life narrative
• Positive
• Emotionally intense

Question 11

Outline the reminance bump study and findings

Answer 11

N=659
50-90 years old
List up to 15 events most imporntat in your life
Date
Rate with emotional valence, percieved control etc.
Positive recalled more in reminiscnece bump
If high percieved control you have a reminiscence bump if not, you don’t have the bump

Question 12

outline the reminiscence bump for music

Answer 12

N= 62; average age 20 yrs old Procedure:
 • Listen to 11 music clips 
• 2 top songs for every year in a consecutive 5 year period (10 songs per clip)
 • Rated 11 music clips 
• % of songs recognized 
• Liking
 • Memories associated with music

Question 13

outline some IRL cases of autobiographical memory

Answer 13

PTSD flashbacks- vivid memories of the terror

Hyperthymestic Syndrome- remember specific events that happend on the day

Question 14

Outline Hyperthymesia

Answer 14

is a condition that leads people to be able to remember an abnormally large number of their life experiences in vivid detail.
Strengths: General memory; recognition memory; face perception; digit span test
Weakness: Executive functioning and reasoning tasks; motor speed, recall of complex figures
Average: reading level; spelling; vocabulary; arithmetic