Autobiographical Memory

Autobiographical Memory

1. Contains all we know

   • guides interaction
     • grounds sense of self in reality

2. Lifespan retrieval curve

   • childhood amnesia
     • WS says mismatch of goals
   • Reminiscence bump
     • superior period of remembering
       • Rubin says novelty - rapid change giving way to stability
         • WS says most goal-relevant period - self defining
   • Recency
     • WS says lowering of self relevance

3. ABK

   • GE: generic images, repeated/extended events
     • semantic
       • self reference - goals + emotional sim
       • use to access assoc sens perc ep mems
       • AM always contains GE
   • LP: reps of location, others, feelings and goals
     • ABK can be limited, channelled and directed
       • LS - schema associate ABK to define a theme
         • goal evaluative info
         • LP access GE access sens perc etc..evidence for evals
           • abstract and conceptual
   • PARTONOMIC

4. Ep/sem

   • distinction prob Tulving
     • ABM contains both
       • Conway sens perc
         • exp near
           • event spec
             • recoll exp - sense of self in the past
               • importance of ep mem - supports recoll exp

5. Working Self

   • helps disruptive retrieval mode
   • goals - various research e.g. personality
   • self-defining moments - educational
     • pos and neg

6. Construction

   • generative and direct retrieval
     • proceeds up the ABK levels
       • can take several cycles but is nonetheless efficient
         • cues
   • direct is disruptive - sens perc not integrating - intrusive
     • both types can occur in same person - emulates non spec to spec process

7. PTSD

   • direct in action
   • intrusive trauma mems
   • vivid and jumbled
   • conflict for WS re survival & goals
   • no recoll
     • nowness
   • re-experiencing
     • hyper arousal
   • avoidance
     • cues
   • diff senses
     • diff feelings at time
       • some moments over others - goal threat
         • copies and distortions