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An Integrative Study of Autobiographical Memory for Positive and Negative Experiences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2013

Elvira García-Bajos  and
Malen Migueles
Elvira García-Bajos*
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU (Spain)
Malen Migueles
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Elvira García-Bajos. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU. Avda. Tolosa 70. 20018. San Sebastián (Spain). Phone: +34–943015665. Fax: +34–943015670. E-mail: elvira.garcia@ehu.es
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Abstract

In this study we examined autobiographical memory for emotional experiences from an integrative perspective, analyzing nature, distribution, content and phenomenological assessment of the experiences. Undergraduate students produced positive or negative life experiences, dated them and indicated their emotional level. Afterwards, they chose an experience to narrate, and rated their memory for the experience. The positive and negative experiences were grouped into 14 categories, although most of them fell into four areas: studies, family, friends and couple. The number of positive and negative experiences progressively increased from very few childhood memories to a larger percentage of more recent events. The distribution was equivalent, except during adolescence, in which a greater number of negative than positive experiences were recorded. The negative narratives included more emotional details, references to cognitive processes, mental rehearsal and justifications than the positive narratives. But the positive experiences obtained higher ratings in vividness and sensorial details than the negative experiences.

Keywords

autobiographical memorypositive and negative experiencescontent analysisphenomenological assessment
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E102
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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Footnotes

This research was supported by grant PSI2009–09833 from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.

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