Can perceived changes in autobiographical memories’ emotionality be explained by memory characteristics and individual differences?

Hoehne, Sophie

doi:10.1080/09658211.2023.2207803

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 46 publications

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“…Based on the so-called "positivity bias" in autobiographical memory (Walker et al, 2003), individuals are expected to focus on positive information about their personal past more strongly than on negative information. Similarly, the "fading affect bias" (Walker et al, 1997) suggests that the affect intensity of negative events decreases more quickly across time than the affect intensity of positive events (see Hoehne, 2023). The assumption thus is that individuals tend to assign stronger centrality ratings to emotionally positive events compared to emotionally negative events (Pociūnaitė and Zimprich, 2023).…”

Section: Centrality Of Positive and Negative Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multilevel factor analysis of the short form of the Centrality of Event Scale

Zimprich,

Pociūnaitė,

Wolf

2024

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionThe Centrality of Event Scale (CES) has frequently been used to measure the degree to which positive and negative life events are perceived central to a person's identity and life story; and previous research suggests that individuals rate their most positive memory as more central compared to their most negative one. When comparing the centrality of two (or more) memories within individuals, one needs to ensure that the CES (or its short form) is equally valid for different types of events (i.e., positive and negative) as well as on different levels of analyses (i.e., on the between-person and the within-person level), pointing to the issue of measurement invariance.MethodsThree-hundred sixty-five adults (18–89 years of age) reported up to ten positive and up to ten negative autobiographical memories. For each memory reported, participants completed the seven-item short form of the CES, which measures three different components of centrality: Events can form a central component of identity (two items), a turning point in the life story (three items), and a reference point for everyday inferences (two items).ResultsBased on exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we found a two-factor structure (Self-Perception and Life-Course) to fit the data best at both levels of analyses and for both positive and negative events. Strict measurement invariance could be applied for positive and negative events at between-person level and at within-person level. The two factors, which measure the impact of an event on either a person's self-perception or their (future) life course, were rated higher for positive compared to negative memories. This difference, however, was stronger for the self-perception factor.DiscussionThe present study provides a first examination of the factorial structure of the CES short form on two levels (within and between persons) as well as for two types of life events (positive and negative). Whereas, a unidimensional scale might be sufficient to measure the centrality of stressful or traumatic life events, a more fine-graded measure seems better suited to understand the different roles of positive and negative life events for a person's identity and life story.

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Section: Centrality Of Positive and Negative Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multilevel factor analysis of the short form of the Centrality of Event Scale

Zimprich,

Pociūnaitė,

Wolf

2024

Front. Psychol.

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Predicting the likelihood and amount of fading, fixed, flourishing, and flexible positive and negative affect of autobiographical memories

Hoehne,

Zimprich

2024

Mem Cogn

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The emotions attributed to an event can change from occurrence to recall. Autobiographical memories (AMs) exhibit fixed affect (i.e., no change in emotionality), fading affect (i.e., a decrease in emotional intensity), flourishing affect (i.e., an increase in emotional intensity), and flexible affect (i.e., change of valence). Mixed-effects multinomial models were used to predict the likelihood of the different affect change categories. Mixed-effects regression models were used to predict the amount of emotional change within each category. Predictors at the event-level were initial intensity, social rehearsal, and recall frequency. Predictors at the participant-level were components of subjective wellbeing. Analyses were based on 1,748 AMs reported by 117 young participants in response to 16 event cues. Frequency biases, and biases in the amount of change across positive and negative emotionality, were found for all types of emotional change. Specifically, there was more fading of negative (29.98%) than positive affect (11.90%), more flourishing of positive (34.27%) than negative affect (9.61%), and more AMs changing from negative to positive valence (13.33%) than vice versa (3.95%). These biases were also evident in the amount of change within the categories. Moreover, slightly more AMs remained fixed in positive (49.89%) than negative affect (47.08%). Both event and participant level predictors were significantly associated with the likelihood of different affect change categories and the amount of emotional change within the categories. The present findings highlight the importance of considering the different ways in which AMs change emotionally from occurrence to later recall.

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Can perceived changes in autobiographical memories’ emotionality be explained by memory characteristics and individual differences?

Cited by 2 publications

References 46 publications

A multilevel factor analysis of the short form of the Centrality of Event Scale

A multilevel factor analysis of the short form of the Centrality of Event Scale

Predicting the likelihood and amount of fading, fixed, flourishing, and flexible positive and negative affect of autobiographical memories

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