Autobiographical memory and sense of self.

Abstract

Despite a strong intuitive and theoretical tradition linking autobiographical memory and sense of self, there are few coherent, testable models that exemplify how these constructs relate. Without any clear theoretical starting point, research efforts have been fragmented, with many different fields of psychology operating in relative isolation, using different methodological approaches and a confusing array of self-related terminology. We attempt to bridge the widening gap between theory and research by proposing a novel framework for sense of self and memory. This simple model delineates sense of self along 2 dimensions: the subjective versus objective and the present versus temporally extended aspects of sense of self. The 4 resulting components of sense of self are argued to relate to autobiographical memory in important, but very different, ways. Subjective sense of self provides a crucial precondition for episodic memory, which in turn is a prerequisite for phenomenological continuity. Autobiographical memory, and particularly its semanticized forms, are important for the formation and maintenance of a mental representation of the objective self in the present moment and across time. This model does not represent a new theoretical direction for the study of sense of self and memory; to the contrary, it is deeply grounded in the theoretical work of the past few decades. Its novelty is that it translates this theoretical groundwork into a form that is readily accessible for researchers. We review evidence for our model and suggest ways that it may provide a roadmap for future research efforts.

Who am I? Autobiographical retrieval improves access to self-concepts

“…Future work could explore this issue by comparing the generation of self-statements across the lifespan.! For decades empirical progress in this area has been encumbered by the conceptualisation of self as a unitary construct (see Prebble, Addis & Tippett, 2012). Our findings support the more recent conceptualisation of the self-concept as a multifaceted knowledge structure (e.g.…”

“…Within the context of the SMS, Conway (2005, p. 597) claims that the conceptual self is Òconnected to autobiographical knowledge and the episodic memory system to activate specific instances that exemplify, contextualize, and ground their underlying themes or concepts.Ó (as cited in Prebble, Addis & Tippett, 2012). Consistent with this, Addis and Tippett (2004) found that individuals with AlzheimerÕs disease who presented with diminished autobiographical memory were less able to generate statements about themselves, and these two abilities were correlated.…”

The distribution and the functions of autobiographical memories: Why do older adults remember autobiographical memories from their youth?

“…This sense of self-continuity can be either experienced by mentally travelling through time or created by interpreting experiences in the context of an individual life story (Prebble et al 2013). Integrating past, present, and envisioned selves of an individual, a coherent life story explains how a person ''came to be who he or she is and projects a sense of purpose and meaning into the future'' (Pasupathi and Mansour 2006, p. 798).…”

Putting Ourselves in Another’s Skin: Using the Plasticity of Self-Perception to Enhance Empathy and Decrease Prejudice

“…The formation of the conceptual self relies on our interactions with others, particularly through linguistic and cultural identification (Gallagher, 2000;Gawronski & Bodenhausen, 2006;Goffman, 1959;Mead, 1913Mead, , 1935Neisser, 1991). In addition, the fact that the conceptual self is closely associated with autobiographical memories means that it plays a central role in the maintenance of personal identity over time (Charlesworth, Allen, & Havelka, 2016;Damasio, 1999;Prebble, Addis, & Tippett, 2013).…”