problem 3 - autobiographical memory Flashcards
what is the autobiographical memory retention function?
a graph that shows the distribution of ABM across the life span
Childhood amnesia (CA) = there are very few memories from the early years & almost none before the age of 3
Reminiscence bump = there is a disproportionately large number of memories from 10-30
Forgetting curve = there is a standard forgetting curve for info that occurs in the last 20 years
Usher & Neisser (1993) - childhood amnesia study
asked p’s to recall a number of critical events from their childhood that were documented & could be checked with relatives & records (birth of sibling, a family move, family death & a hospitalization)
- Relatively poor memory before the age of 5
- The offset of CA occurred at different times, depending on the particular event
- Memories for birth of sibling (story receives a lot of rehearsal) & hospitalization (distinctive, frightening & involving) went further back than memories for death or move
the emergence of ABM & brain development
one possible source of the memory deficits of CA is the immaturity of the infant brain
- neurological structures that lead to ABM (e.g. hippocampal area) are not fully developed = early memories are not formed
- Infants have an early developing procedural system that allows them to perform simple memory tasks (e.g. remembering how to perform tasks like walking & eating) + a later-developing declarative system that is the basis for ABM
the emergence of ABM & development of language
views development of language skills as critical factor in the emergence of ABM
- Pillemer & White (1989): children begin to remember events from lives as soon as they are capable of describing events with language
- Studies have shown the imp of language in ABM, with diffs in narrative style
- ABM emerges as parents begin to engage in memory talk
how does narrative style relate to AMB
Narrative style = the way that families reminisce about, or narrate, past events
- Elaborative style = consists of long & richly detailed discussions of past event - used mostly w daughters
- Pragmatic style = is more succinct & contains less detail & elaboration - used mostly w sons
Style of reminiscing influences quality of childhood memories: elaborative parents = better elaborated memories
- found female superiority in AB recall - related to elaborative style being used mostly w daughters
the emergence of ABM & the development of a cognitive self
Language is critical to the expression of stored experiences BUT it is not the same as the stored experiences
- Just bcuz a child doesn’t have linguistic skills to tell what happened → doesn’t mean they don’t have a memory of it
- Language necessary for ABM to be expressed, NOT the basis of their development
- Sense of self (self concept) = is the critical factor of the emergence of ABM
cross cultural differences & their influence on ABM (wang, 2006)
- compared recall of early childhood events in Taiwanese (eastern culture) & U.S. (western culture) adults
- Cue words used: self, mother, family, friend & surroundings - asked p’s to relay earliest memory associated w each word
US p’s had earlier childhood memories than Taiwanese p’s for all cue words + US memories tended to reflect personal autonomy
- Explanation: more emphasis on the self in western cultures
Also found that memories cued by ‘mother’ → especially early remembering = centrality of the mother-child relationship in developing ABM
the emergence of ABM & social cognitive development
emergence involves a complex interplay between brain development, use of language & developing a self concept → Nelson & Fivush (2004) try to combine all factors into 1 explanation
- AB remembering is a complex ability that emerges as a number of abilities & contextual factors unite
memory mechanisms as an explanation for the reminiscence bump
Memory mechanisms favor the retrieval of events from early adulthood bcuz of their imp & distinctiveness
→ these event are rehearsed more often + not subject to interference bcuz of their distinctiveness
identity formation as an explanation for the reminiscence bump
Period from adolescence to early adulthood is critical for formation of individual’s identity = events occur during this time are most defining ones = recounted most often
neurological development as an explanation for the reminiscence bump
Cognitive abilities & brain function are at peak in early adulthood = things experienced during this period are remembered best
Self-memory system model
Conway & Pleydell-Pearce (2000) - we possess a self-memory system with 2 major components:
1. ABM knowledge base
2. Working self
ABM can be accessed through generative or direct retrieval
ABM knowledge base (self-memory system mode)
contains personal info at 3 levels of specificity:
Lifetime periods: generally cover substantial periods of time defined by major ongoing situations (e.g. time spent living w someone)
General events: include repeated events (e.g. visits to a sports club) and single events (e.g. a holiday to france) → general events are often related to each other as well as to lifetime periods
Event-specific knowledge: consists of details relating to general events & spanning time period from seconds to hours
working self (self-memory system model)
Is concerned w the self, what it may become in future & w the individual’s current goals
Working self’s goals influence the kinds of memories stored within the ABM knowledge base, & the ABM we recall
As a result, ABM are primarily records of success or failure in goal attainment
Generative vs direct retrieval
Generative retrieval = deliberate or voluntary construction of ABM based on an individual’s current goals
Direct retrieval = involuntary recall of ABM triggered by a specific cue - is less effortful than generative + involves less active involvement of the rememberer
