Directive functions of autobiographical memory: theory and method

doi:10.1017/CBO9781139021937.014

10 - Directive functions of autobiographical memory: theory and method

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2012

David B. Pillemer and

Kie J. Kuwabara

Edited by

Dorthe Berntsen and

David C. Rubin

Show author details

Dorthe Berntsen: Affiliation:
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
David C. Rubin: Affiliation:
Duke University, North Carolina

Book contents

Get access

Summary

In 1929, at the age of 4 years, prominent African-American activist Malcolm X experienced a horrifying event that became his “earliest vivid memory”:

I remember being suddenly snatched awake into a frightening confusion of pistol shots and shouting and smoke and flames. My father had shouted and shot at the two white men who had set the fire and were running away. Our home was burning down around us. We were lunging and bumping and tumbling all over each other trying to escape. My mother, with the baby in her arms, just made it into the yard before the house crashed in, showering sparks. I remember we were outside in the night in our underwear, crying and yelling our heads off. The white police and firemen came and stood around watching as the house burned down to the ground.

(Malcolm X, 1965, pp. 5–6)

Why was this early childhood experience so memorable? One answer to this question focuses on well-known and carefully studied mental and affective processes known to enhance memory vividness (e.g., Rubin and Kozin, 1984). The episode was highly emotional; it was distinctive and unique; it carried immense personal and familial importance; and as a result it was repeatedly thought about, talked about, and written about in the years that followed. The memory represents these qualities so strongly that it would be far more difficult to explain its absence than its prominent place in Malcolm’s life history.

A second answer to the question of why the episode was vividly remembered focuses on adaptive functions rather than mental processes. Autobiographical memory is much more than a passive record of things that happened years ago – it also actively influences current thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. Malcolm X’s memory seemed to anchor a continuing set of attitudes and deeply felt feelings that helped to set the course of his career as an activist and leader (Pillemer, 1998, pp. 75–76). He referred back to episodes of childhood trauma and harassment when speaking publicly about racial hatred and injustice (Malcolm X, 1965, p. 6).

Type: Chapter
Information: Understanding Autobiographical Memory
Theories and Approaches
, pp. 181 - 202

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139021937.014 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Alea, N.Bluck, S. 2007 I’ll keep you in mind: the intimacy function of autobiographical memoryApplied Cognitive Psychology 21 1091CrossRef Google Scholar

Baddeley, A. 1988 But what the hell is it forGruneberg, M. M.Morris, P. E.Sykes, R. N.Practical aspects of memory: current research and issues3ChichesterWileyGoogle Scholar

Baumeister, R. F.Vohs, K. D.Funder, D. C. 2007 Psychology as the science of self-reports and finger movementsPerspectives on Psychological Science 2 396CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Beike, D. R.Adams, L. P.Naufel, K. Z. 2010 Closure of autobiographical memories moderates their directive effect on behaviourMemory 18 40CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Bernstein, D. M.Loftus, E. F. 2009 The consequences of false memories for food preferences and choicesPerspectives on Psychological Science 4 135CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Bluck, S. 2003 Autobiographical memory: exploring its functions in everyday lifeMemory 11 113CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Bluck, S.Alea, N. 2002 Exploring the functions of autobiographical memory: why do I remember the autumnWebster, J. D.Haight, B. K.Critical advances in reminiscence work: from theory to application61New YorkSpringerGoogle Scholar

Bluck, S.Alea, N.Habermas, T.Rubin, D. C. 2005 A tale of three functions: the self-reported uses of autobiographical memorySocial Cognition 23 91CrossRef Google Scholar

Braun-LaTour, K. A.LaTour, M. S. 2007 Using childhood memory elicitation to gain insights into a brand at a crossroads: the In-N-Out Burger situationCornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 48 246CrossRef Google Scholar

Brewin, C. R. 1989 Cognitive change process in psychotherapyPsychological Review 96 379CrossRef Google Scholar

Brewin, C. R.Dagleish, T.Joseph, S. 1996 A dual representation theory of posttraumatic stress disorderPsychological Review 103 670CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Brown, R.Kulik, J. 1977 Flashbulb memoriesCognition 5 73CrossRef Google Scholar

Bruce, D. 1985 The how and why of ecological memoryJournal of Experimental Psychology: General 114 78CrossRef Google Scholar

Bruce, D. 1989 Functional explanations of memoryPoon, L. W.Rubin, D. C.Wilson, B. A.Everyday cognition in adulthood and late life44New YorkCambridge University PressCrossRef Google Scholar

Bruner, J. S. 1986 Actual minds, possible worldsCambridge, MAHarvard University PressGoogle Scholar

Bruner, J. S. 1987 Life as narrativeSocial Research 54 11Google Scholar

Brunot, S.Sanitioso, R. B. 2004 Motivational influences on the quality of memories: recall of general autobiographical memories related to desired attributesEuropean Journal of Social Psychology 34 627CrossRef Google Scholar

Conway, M. A.Gardiner, J. M.Perfect, T. J.Anderson, S. J.Cohen, G. M. 1997 Changes in awareness during learning: the acquisition of knowledge by psychology undergraduatesJournal of Experimental Psychology: General 126 393CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Conway, M. A.Pleydell-Pearce, C. W 2000 The construction of autobiographical memories in the self-systemPsychological Review 107 261CrossRef Google Scholar

Doukas, A. M.Bemis, R. H.Leichtman, M. D.Pillemer, D. B.Malahy, S. 2010

Goddard, L.Dritschel, B.Burton, A. 1996 Role of autobiographical memory in social problem solving and depressionJournal of Abnormal Psychology 105 609CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Goddard, L.Dritschel, B.Burton, A. 1998 Gender differences in the dual-task effects on autobiographical memory retrieval during social problem solvingBritish Journal of Psychology 89 611CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Goddard, L.Dritschel, B.Burton, A. 2001 The effects of specific retrieval instruction on social problem-solving in depressionBritish Journal of Clinical Psychology 40 297CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Goddard, L.Howlin, P.Dritschel, B.Patel, T. 2007 Autobiographical memory and social problem-solving in Asperger syndromeJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 37 291CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Han, H. C. 2009 Does the content of political appeals matter in motivating participation? A field experiment on self-disclosure in political appealsPolitical Behavior 31 103CrossRef Google Scholar

Herbert, D. M. B.Burt, J. S. 2004 What do students remember? Episodic memory and the development of schematizationApplied Cognitive Psychology 18 77CrossRef Google Scholar

Ivcevic, Z.Pillemer, D. B.Brackett, M. A. 2010 Self-esteem memories and school success in early adolescenceApplied Cognitive Psychology 24 1265CrossRef Google Scholar

Izard, C. E. 2007 Basic emotions, natural kinds, emotion schemas, and a new paradigmPerspectives on Psychological Science 2 260CrossRef Google Scholar

LaTour, K.LaTour, M. S.Zinkhan, G. M. 2010 Coke is It: how stories in childhood memories illuminate an iconJournal of Business Research 63 328CrossRef Google Scholar

Kuwabara, K. J.Pillemer, D. B. 2010 Memories of past episodes shape current intentions and decisionsMemory 18 365CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

MacKenzie, A. A.White, R. T. 1982 Fieldwork in geography and long-term memory structuresAmerican Educational Research Journal 19 623CrossRef Google Scholar

Malcolm, X 1965 The autobiography of Malcolm X: as told to Alex HaleyNew YorkGrove PressGoogle Scholar

May, P. 1991 The man who beat out JordanBoston Globe105Google Scholar

McAdams, D. P. 1993 The stories we live by: personal myths and the making of the selfNew YorkMorrowGoogle Scholar

Mitchell, D. B. 2006 Nonconscious priming after 17 years: invulnerable implicit memoryPsychological Science 17 925CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Nairne, J. S.Pandeirada, J. N. S.Thompson, S. R. 2008 Adaptive memory: the comparative value of survival processingPsychological Science 19 176CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Neisser, U. 1982 Memory observed: remembering in natural contextsSan Francisco, CAW. H. Freeman

Neisser, U. 1982 Snapshots or benchmarksNeisser, U.Memory observed: remembering in natural contexts43San Francisco, CAW. H. FreemanGoogle Scholar

Nuthall, G.Alton-Lee, A. 1995 Assessing classroom learning: how students use their knowledge and experience to answer classroom achievement test questions in science and social studiesAmerican Educational Research Journal 32 185CrossRef Google Scholar

Pasupathi, M. 2003 Emotion regulation during social remembering: differences between emotions elicited during an event and emotions elicited when talking about itMemory 11 151CrossRef Google Scholar

Pillemer, D. B. 1992 Remembering personal circumstances: a functional analysisWinograd, E.Neisser, U.Affect and accuracy in recall: studies of “flashbulb” memories236New YorkCambridge University PressCrossRef Google Scholar

Pillemer, D. B. 1998 Momentous events, vivid memories: how unforgettable moments help us to understand the meaning of our livesCambridge, MAHarvard University PressGoogle Scholar

Pillemer, D. B. 2001 Momentous events and the life storyReview of General Psychology 5 123CrossRef Google Scholar

Pillemer, D. B. 2003 Directive functions of autobiographical memory: the guiding power of the specific episodeMemory 11 193CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Pillemer, D. B. 2009 Twenty years after Baddeley (1988): is the study of autobiographical memory fully functionalApplied Cognitive Psychology 23 1193CrossRef Google Scholar

Pillemer, D. B.Goldsmith, L. R.Panter, A. T.White, S. H. 1988 Very long-term memories of the first year in collegeJournal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 14 709Google Scholar

Pillemer, D. B.Picariello, M. L.Law, A. B.Reichman, J. S. 1996 Memories of college: the importance of specific educational episodesRubin, D. C.Remembering our past: studies in autobiographical memory318New YorkCambridge University PressCrossRef Google Scholar

Rasmussen, A. S.Berntsen, D. 2009 Emotional valence and the functions of autobiographical memory: positive and negative memories serve different functionsMemory & Cognition 37 477CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Robitaille, A.Cappeliez, P.Coulombe, D.Webster, J. D. 2010 Factorial structure and psychometric properties of the reminiscence functions scaleAging and Mental Health 14 184CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Roediger, H. L.Marsh, E. J.Lee, S. C. 2002 Kinds of memoryPashler, H.Medin, D.Stevens’ handbook of experimental psychology1Hoboken, NJWileyGoogle Scholar

Rubin, D. C.Kozin, M. 1984 Vivid memoriesCognition 16 81CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Ryan, B. 2009 Usually reliable fireballer has a hellish outingBoston GlobeC1Google Scholar

Schacter, D. L. 1987 Implicit memory: history and current statusJournal of Experimental Psychology 13 501Google Scholar

Schacter, D. L.Addis, D. R. 2007 The ghosts of past and futureNature 445 27CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Schank, R. C. 1990 Tell me a story: a new look at real and artificial memoryNew YorkCharles ScribnerGoogle Scholar

Schank, R. C. 1999 Dynamic memory revisitedNew York: Cambridge University PressCrossRef Google Scholar

Singer, J. A.Salovey, P. 1993 The remembered self: emotion and memory in personalityNew YorkThe Free PressGoogle Scholar

Spence, D. P. 1982 Narrative truth and historical truthNew YorkNortonGoogle Scholar

Thomsen, D. K.Berntsen, D. 2008 The cultural life script and life story chapters contribute to the reminiscence bumpMemory 16 420CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Washburn, G. 2010 Swayed by cavalier attitudeBoston GlobeC10Google Scholar

Webster, J. D. 1993 Construction and validation of the reminiscence functions scaleJournal of Gerontology 48 256CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Webster, J. D. 1995 Adult age differences in reminiscence functionsHaight, B. K.Webster, J. D.The art and science of reminiscing: theory, research, methods, and applications89Washington, DCTaylor & FrancisGoogle Scholar

Webster, J. D. 2003 The reminiscence circumplex and autobiographical memory functionsMemory 11 203CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Webster, J. D.McCall, M. E. 1999 Reminscence functions across adulthood: a replication and extensionJournal of Adult Development 6 73CrossRef Google Scholar

Wildschut, T.Sedikides, C.Arndt, J.Routledge, C. 2006 Nostalgia: content, triggers, functionsJournal of Personality and Social Psychology 91 975CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Williams, J. M. G. 1996 Depression and specificity of autobiographical memoryRubin, D. C.Remembering our past: studies in autobiographical memory244New YorkCambridge University PressCrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Zhou, X.Sedikides, C.Wildschut, T.Gao, D. 2008 Counteracting loneliness: on the restorative function of nostalgiaPsychological Science 19 1023CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed