LECTURE 7 EVERYDAY MEMORY

Question 1

What is autobiographical memory (AM)?

Answer 1

Memories for events of personal significance, involving mentalizing (thinking about mental states).

Question 2

How is AM different from episodic memory?

Answer 2

AM includes semantic elements and involves mentalizing, while episodic memory is typically simpler and short-lasting.

Question 3

What are the functions of autobiographical memory?

Answer 3

Self-function, social function, directive function, and self-enhancement.

Question 4

What is the self-function of AM?

Answer 4

Retaining continuity, acknowledging change, and projecting to the future.

Question 5

What is the social function of AM?

Answer 5

Maintaining relationships through shared memories, fostering intimacy and empathy.

Question 6

What is the directive function of AM?

Answer 6

Using past experiences to guide decisions and solve problems.

Question 7

What is self-enhancement in AM?

Answer 7

Focusing on positive memories to improve mood and maintain a positive self-view.

Question 8

What is Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM)?

Answer 8

Exceptional ability to recall personal events, as seen in individuals like Jill Price.

Question 9

What is the Saying-Is-Believing Effect?

Answer 9

People tend to remember what they said, even if it was inaccurate at the time.

Question 10

What is infantile amnesia?

Answer 10

The phenomenon where individuals recall few or no autobiographical memories before the age of three.

Question 11

What are the theories behind infantile amnesia?

Answer 11

Freud’s repression theory, cognitive self-development, language development, and hippocampal neurogenesis.

Question 12

What is the reminiscence bump?

Answer 12

A higher number of memories reported from ages 10–30, often positive or significant life events.

Question 13

What is Conway’s Self-Memory System Model?

Answer 13

A hierarchical structure of autobiographical memory involving lifetime periods, general events, and event-specific knowledge.

Question 14

What are the two types of AM retrieval in Conway’s model?

Answer 14

Generative retrieval (deliberate) and direct retrieval (spontaneous).

Question 15

How do depressed individuals experience AM?

Answer 15

They produce over-general negative memories, increasing depression levels.

Question 16

What is eyewitness testimony (EWT)?

Answer 16

A third-party account of an event, often used in legal settings.

Question 17

What factors affect the reliability of EWT?

Answer 17

Memory encoding, stress, attention, weapon focus, misinformation, and biases.

Question 18

What is the Weapon Focus Effect?

Answer 18

When eyewitnesses focus on a weapon, reducing memory for other details like faces or surroundings.

Question 19

How does stress affect EWT?

Answer 19

Moderate stress improves memory, but too much or too little impairs recall.

Question 20

What is the misinformation effect?

Answer 20

When misleading information after an event distorts memory of the original event.

Question 21

What is source misattribution?

Answer 21

Confusing the origin of a memory, leading to errors in recall.

Question 22

What are own-race and own-age biases in face recognition?

Answer 22

People recognize faces of their own race and age group more accurately than others.

Question 23

How does cognitive interviewing enhance EWT?

Answer 23

By mentally reinstating the event’s environment, encouraging detail, and describing events in various orders.

Question 24

What are limitations of the cognitive interview?

Answer 24

Less effective after long retention intervals or highly arousing events.

Question 25

What is prospective memory (PM)?

Answer 25

Remembering to perform a future action without explicit reminders.

Question 26

How does PM differ from retrospective memory?

Answer 26

PM focuses on when to do something, while retrospective memory focuses on what is known.

Question 27

What are event-based PM tasks?

Answer 27

Actions triggered by external cues (e.g., giving a message when seeing someone).

Question 28

What are time-based PM tasks?

Answer 28

Actions performed at specific times (e.g., attending a meeting at 4 PM).

Question 29

Why are time-based PM tasks harder than event-based tasks?

Answer 29

They rely on self-generated cues and require more attention to future planning.

Question 30

What is the dual-pathways model of PM?

Answer 30

PM retrieval involves strategic monitoring (top-down) or spontaneous retrieval (bottom-up).

Question 31

What brain areas support PM?

Answer 31

Anterior prefrontal cortex (for top-down processes) and regions associated with bottom-up processing.

Question 32

What is the effect of interruptions on PM?

Answer 32

Interruptions, especially during routine tasks, increase the likelihood of PM failures.

Question 33

How do pilots experience PM failures?

Answer 33

Distractions during routine procedures lead to missed steps or unexecuted plans.

Question 34

What is the impact of focal and non-focal tasks on PM?

Answer 34

Non-focal tasks require more monitoring and are more error-prone than focal tasks.

Question 35

What enhances PM performance in laboratory tasks?

Answer 35

Strong external cues and tasks that align with ongoing activities.

Question 36

What is the difference between direct and generative AM retrieval?

Answer 36

Direct retrieval is spontaneous, while generative retrieval is deliberate and effortful.

Question 37

What neural networks are involved in AM?

Answer 37

Prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobes for retrieval; additional areas for elaboration.

Question 38

What is the impact of depression on AM biases?

Answer 38

Depressed individuals focus on negative, over-general memories, which exacerbates their symptoms.

Question 39

What is the encoding specificity principle?

Answer 39

Memory is better recalled when retrieval conditions match encoding conditions.