Autobiographical & Prospective Memory

Question 1

Name some differences between episodic and autobiographical memory.

Answer 1

Autobiographical memory
Personally significant, Complex memories, Long‐term, Some semantic memory involvement, Left ventromedial prefrontal activation

Episodic memory
Trivial events, Simpler memories, Short‐term, Little semantic memory involvement, Right mid‐dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation

Question 2

What could be some explanations for chilhood amnesia?

Answer 2

Participants report very few autobiographical memories before the age of 3:
– Repression (Freud, 1915)
– Cognitive self (Howe & Courage, 1997): no memories before a concept of self has developed.
– Social‐cultural development (Fivush, 2010): language is required to explain experiences.
– Neurogenic hypothesis (Josselyn & Frankland, 2012): process of generating new neurons in hippocampus is protracted.

Question 3

Provide some evidence and possible explanations for the reminiscence bump phenomenon.

Answer 3

Many memories reported between 10 and 30 years of age.
Berntsen et al.(2011): Life script events (cultural expectations of major life events) occur in the ages between 15 and 30
– Self image hypothesis: It’s when you develop your identity
– Cultural life hypothesis: These are the important years in our culture.
– Cognitive hypothesis: It’s simply when a lot of events happen.
Schrauf & Rubin (1998) Emigrants to US. The reminiscence bump depends on when somebody emigrates to another country > Supports the cognitive hypothesis (a lot of cognitively demanding changes; a lot of stuff happening)

Question 4

SELF‐MEMORY SYSTEM theoretical model of autobiographical memory?

Answer 4

Autobiographical memory knowledge base: Lifetime periods – General events – Event‐specific knowledge
Working self: – Goals
Conway (2005): The knowledge structures within autobiographical memory. Different levels of the conceptual self (semantic info on self) interact with specific episodic memories.

Question 5

What brain regions and networks are involved in autobiographical memory?

Answer 5

Greenberg et al. (2005). Patterns of activation during autobiographical memory and semantic memory retrieval. More activity for autobiographical memory in: Amygdala (emotion); Hippocampus (episodic memory); right inferior frontal gyrus (self-related processing). More activity for semantic memory in: Left frontal cortex.

Jacques et al. (2011) Four Neural networks in autobiographical memory:

1. ‐ Frontoparietal network: adaptive control processes; verbal retrieval
2. ‐ Cingulo-operculum network: goal maintenance
3. ‐ Medial prefrontal cortex network: Self‐referential processing; elaboration
4. ‐ Medial temporal lobe: Conscious recollection (episodic memory)

Question 6

What is a FLASBULB MEMORY?

Answer 6

A special neural mechanism for important memories (Brown and Kulik,  1977). Includes information about the: • Informant • Place the news was heard • Ongoing activity • Emotional state of self and others • Consequences for the individual.
“burnt into your brain”: “photographic memory”: detailed, reliable (?), long term
Often collective (though not necessarily!)

o High confidence in accuracy of flashbulb memories; however, accuracy decreases as a function of time.
o Flashbulb memories more often remembered and more consistent compared to regular memories
o Strong emotional factor (amygdala) in flashbulb memories.