1
|
Anthony K, Wong HK, Lim A, Sow F, Janssen SMJ. Examining the roles of visual imagery and working memory in the retrieval of autobiographical memories using a dual-task paradigm. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:447-460. [PMID: 37649149 PMCID: PMC10880419 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231200724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The retrieval of autobiographical memories involves the construction of mental representations of past personal events. Many researchers examining the processes underlying memory retrieval argue that visual imagery plays a fundamental role. Other researchers, however, have argued that working memory is an integral component involved in memory retrieval. The goal of this study was to resolve these conflicting arguments by comparing the relative contributions of visual imagery and working memory during the retrieval of autobiographical memories in a dual-task paradigm. While following a moving dot, viewing a dynamic visual noise (DVN), or viewing a blank screen, 95 participants recalled their memories and subsequently rated them on different memory characteristics. The results suggest that inhibiting visual imagery by having participants view DVN merely delayed memory retrieval but did not affect the phenomenological quality of the memories retrieved. Taxations to the working memory by having participants follow a moving dot, on the contrary, resulted in only longer retrieval latencies and no reductions in the specificity, vividness, or the emotional intensity of the memories retrieved. Whereas the role of visual imagery during retrieval is clear, future studies could further examine the role of working memory during retrieval by administering a task that is less difficult or by recruiting a larger sample than this study. The results of this study seem to suggest that both visual imagery and working memory play a role during the retrieval of autobiographical memory, but more research needs to be conducted to determine their exact roles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Anthony
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Hoo Keat Wong
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Alfred Lim
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
- Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Farrah Sow
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Steve MJ Janssen
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chiorri C, Vannucci M. The Subjective Experience of Autobiographical Remembering: Conceptual and Methodological Advances and Challenges. J Intell 2024; 12:21. [PMID: 38392177 PMCID: PMC10890313 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The investigation of the phenomenology of autobiographical memories (i.e., how a memory is subjectively experienced and its meaning) has provided an important contribution to our understanding of autobiographical remembering. Over the last two decades, the study of phenomenology has received widespread scientific attention, and the field has undergone quite relevant conceptual and methodological changes. In the present work, we (1) review some basic and well-established research findings and methodological achievements; (2) discuss new theoretical and methodological challenges, with a special focus on the issue of the phenomenological experience of the retrieval process and its relationship with the phenomenology of the products of retrieval; and (3) propose an alternative way of conceptualizing and understanding it in the framework of experimental phenomenology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Chiorri
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso A. Podestà 2, 16128 Genova, Italy
| | - Manila Vannucci
- Department of Neurofarba, Section of Psychology, University of Florence, Via San Salvi 12, Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nusser L, Wolf T, Zimprich D. Bringing Order to Life: Temporal Order Effects during the Recall of Important Autobiographical Memories in Young and Old Adults. Exp Aging Res 2023; 49:516-542. [PMID: 36323628 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2022.2137361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study investigated whether younger and older adults differ in the extent to which they order their important autobiographical memories (AMs) in a chronological way during recall. Moreover, the number of autobiographical memories to be recalled was systematically varied in order to examine whether manipulating the size of the search sample affects the use of a chronological recall strategy. METHODS Data come from 118 younger adults (M = 23.12, SD = 3.33) and 124 older adults (M = 69.79, SD = 8.94) who recalled either seven or thirteen important AMs. RESULTS Using multilevel linear growth models, a temporal order effect for younger and older adults was found. For older adults, the temporal order effect was much more pronounced. The number of recalled events, however, did not affect the temporal order effect. CONCLUSION Our findings point to a higher need for a structured search or a stronger engagement in autobiographical reasoning processes in older age. Furthermore, asking for important AMs encourages participants to provide a comprehensive overview of their life independent of the number of important AMs to be recalled.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Nusser
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tabea Wolf
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel Zimprich
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Markostamou I, Randall C, Kvavilashvili L. Dissociations between directly and generatively retrieved autobiographical memories: evidence from ageing. Memory 2023; 31:931-947. [PMID: 37189257 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2212921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Autobiographical memory research has largely focused on effortful, generative retrieval processes, particularly in cognitive ageing literature. However, recent evidence has shown that autobiographical memories are often retrieved directly, without effortful retrieval processes. In the present study, we examined the retrieval characteristics and the phenomenological qualities of directly and generatively retrieved memories in younger and older adults. Participants recalled autobiographical memories in response to word-cues and reported whether each of their memories was retrieved directly (i.e., memory popped into mind) or generatively (i.e., they actively searched for it), and provided ratings for several retrieval and phenomenological characteristics. Overall, directly retrieved autobiographical memories were recalled faster and with less effort, were more recent, more frequently rehearsed, more vivid, and more positive in valence than generatively retrieved memories. Importantly, while younger adults recalled a higher number of generatively retrieved autobiographical memories than older adults, there were no age effects on the number of directly retrieved memories. We also established the parallel-form reliability of the word-cue method in eliciting autobiographical memories by comparing two sets of word-cues. The results provide novel insights on the dissociable effects of retrieval type and ageing on autobiographical memories. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Markostamou
- Psychology Division, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - Chloe Randall
- Psychology Division, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - Lia Kvavilashvili
- Psychology Division, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Libersky E, Crespo K, Reppe A, Kaushanskaya M. Effects of bilingualism on autobiographical memory: variation in idea density and retrieval speed. Memory 2023; 31:491-501. [PMID: 36715030 PMCID: PMC10163676 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2171435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Prior work on bilingual memory has largely focused on working memory and less on autobiographical memory. In the present study, we tested the effect of bilingualism on autobiographical memory and examined whether an effect would be moderated or mediated by working memory. Spanish-English bilingual and English-only monolingual adults completed an autobiographical cued-recall task, as well as a working memory measure. Memories were coded for retrieval speed and propositional idea density. Bilingual status was associated with faster memory retrieval but did not affect propositional idea density. Better working memory was associated with slower memory retrieval but did not affect propositional idea density, nor did working memory moderate or mediate the effect of bilingualism. Together, these results indicate an effect of bilingualism on the speed of autobiographical memory retrieval that does not extend to autobiographical memory content and suggest that the effect of bilingualism is independent of the effect of working memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Libersky
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Kimberly Crespo
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Autumn Reppe
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Barzykowski K, Moulin CJA. Are involuntary autobiographical memory and déjà vu natural products of memory retrieval? Behav Brain Sci 2022; 46:e356. [PMID: 36111499 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x22002035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs) and déjà vu are phenomena that occur spontaneously in daily life. IAMs are recollections of the personal past, whereas déjà vu is defined as an experience in which the person feels familiarity at the same time as knowing that the familiarity is false. We present and discuss the idea that both IAMs and déjà vu can be explained as natural phenomena resulting from memory processing and, importantly, are both based on the same memory retrieval processes. Briefly, we hypothesise that both can be described as "involuntary" or spontaneous cognitions, where IAMs deliver content and déjà vu delivers only the feeling of retrieval. We map out the similarities and differences between the two, making a theoretical and neuroscientific account for their integration into models of memory retrieval and how the autobiographical memory literature can explain these quirks of daily life and unusual but meaningful phenomena. We explain the emergence of the déjà vu phenomenon by relating it to well-known mechanisms of autobiographical memory retrieval, concluding that IAMs and déjà vu lie on a continuum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Krystian Barzykowski
- Applied Memory Research Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Chris J A Moulin
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- Institut Universitaire de France
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mace JH, Petersen EP, Kruchten EA. Elucidating the mental processes underlying the direct retrieval of autobiographical memories. Conscious Cogn 2021; 94:103190. [PMID: 34416411 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The literature on autobiographical memory retrieval has directed much attention to the concepts of direct retrieval (fast, automatic retrieval) and generative retrieval (slower, deliberative/strategic retrieval). Among the many findings reported on these phenomena, their relative prevalence has stood out as a central feature in many studies, with most studies reporting the frequency of direct retrieval as equal to or exceeding generative retrieval. In this study, we used the retrieve-aloud procedure (a method where participants verbalize their thoughts while retrieving) to delve more deeply into the nature of reports of ubiquitous direct retrieval. We hypothesized that much of the direct retrieval reported in literature is not bona fide direct retrieval (i.e., seemingly automatic retrieval), but is a combination of other retrieval processes, including generative-like retrieval processes. Our results supported this view, showing that less than one-half of all of the observed direct retrievals were bona fide direct retrieval, while the rest were a form of generative retrieval, or fell somewhere in between direct and generative retrieval. We argue that the results suggest that the prevalence of direct retrieval may be overestimated in the literature, and we further propose an alternative classification schema for direct retrievals.
Collapse
|
8
|
Engelbrecht R, Bhar S, Ciorciari J. Planting the SEED: A model to describe the functions of music in reminiscence therapy. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2021; 44:101441. [PMID: 34247028 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Music-assisted reminiscence therapy involves the use of music, in any form, to prompt and augment the recollection of autobiographical memories and therapeutic reframing of the meaning of one's life and experiences. The functions of music in reminiscence therapy remains unclear. Drawing on interdisciplinary research in music therapy, psychology, sociology, gerontology, and neuroscience, this paper proposes a theoretical model for understanding the multiple functions of music when used in reminiscence therapy, and describes how music-assisted reminiscence therapy might be used to improve the wellbeing of older people. The SEED model proposes that music, when used together with reminiscence interventions, helps to: 1) summon autobiographical memories; 2) evoke strong emotional reactions; 3) elicit physiological responses; and 4) define identity. Evidence for the four proposed functions of music in reminiscence interventions is presented. The SEED model expands on previous research and theory on music and reminiscence, neural and cognitive processing, and the therapeutic use of music. The SEED model maps the benefits and indicators for the use of music in reminiscence therapy and provides a blueprint for research to test the purported benefits of using music to enhance reminiscence therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romy Engelbrecht
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia.
| | - Sunil Bhar
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
| | - Joseph Ciorciari
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
When trying to recall our past, all roads lead to Rome: More evidence for the multi-process retrieval theory of autobiographical memory. Mem Cognit 2020; 49:438-450. [PMID: 32975760 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-020-01099-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we tested elements of the multi-process retrieval account of autobiographical memory, retrieval multiplicity, and retrieval selectivity. The retrieval multiplicity states that multiple different retrieval strategies are used to recall autobiographical memories, while the retrieval selectivity states that such retrieval strategies will vary in accord with the cuing environment. We tested these hypotheses across two experiments with the retrieve-aloud procedure. In the retrieve-aloud procedure, participants were required to verbalize their thoughts while attempting to retrieve personal memories in response to phrase cues (e.g., listening to music). Experiments 1 and 2 found support for the retrieval multiplicity by showing that participants used a variety of different retrieval processes (eight different processes in total), while Experiment 1 found support for the retrieval selectivity by showing that retrieval strategies varied across different cue types. The implications of the findings are discussed with respect to autobiographical memory, as well as semantic memory.
Collapse
|
10
|
Direct and generative autobiographical memory retrieval: How different are they? Conscious Cogn 2019; 74:102793. [PMID: 31351342 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.102793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Theories of autobiographical memory have emphasised effortful generative retrieval, but recent research indicates that subjectively effortless direct retrieval is common. We compared the processes of direct and generative retrieval. Sixty-five participants retrieved 24 autobiographical memories across three cue types: concrete, emotional, and personal. We recorded retrieval latency, and participants judged direct versus generative retrieval and rated memory specificity, vividness, significance, rehearsal, and emotionality. Overall, direct retrieval was common, especially for personal cues. Directly retrieved memories were recalled faster, were less likely to be specific, and were rated more significant, rehearsed, and emotional than generatively retrieved memories. The speed of both direct and generative retrieval varied similarly according to cue type, suggesting they did not involve fundamentally different cognitive processes. These findings challenge theories that assume direct retrieval bypasses constructive processes. Instead we suggest that both direct and generative retrieval involve construction that is similarly affected by cue concreteness and relevance.
Collapse
|
11
|
Foley MA. Reflecting on how we remember the personal past: missing components in the study of memory appraisal and theoretical implications. Memory 2017; 26:634-652. [PMID: 29035145 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2017.1387667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The current paper offers a selective review of the study of memory appraisal, focusing on recollections of the personal past, with the goal to bring attention to a missing component in this study. To date, memory appraisal studies have concentrated on participants' assessments of the content of their personal recollections (e.g., their perceptual detail and story-like feel), including beliefs about the accuracy of that content. Participants' assessments of reflection processes accompanying their recollections (e.g., a sense of piecing-together recollection fragments) have yet to be extensively examined. The lack of information on process-based appraisals is related to prior studies' procedural constraints (e.g., kinds of cue prompts and their timing, minimal opportunities for reflection). Reasons for addressing this missing component provide the central themes of the paper. The reasons emerge from the analysis of autobiographical cueing studies, including integration of narrative research studies and autobiographical works. The analysis leads to suggestions for future research involving the use of personal narratives that are intended to address critiques of reconstruction accounts and unresolved questions in the study of memory appraisal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ann Foley
- a Department of Psychology , Skidmore College , Saratoga Springs , NY , USA
| |
Collapse
|