Neural systems mediating field and observer memories

Eich, Eric; Nelson, Andrea L.; Leghari, M. Adil; Handy, Todd C.

doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.02.019

Cited by 83 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…In this study participants performed four tasks, which during a second-session a week later were to be recalled in the scanner (Eich et al, 2009). Three regions were found to show greater activity during field perspective imagery when directly compared to observer perspective imagery.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Three regions were found to show greater activity during field perspective imagery when directly compared to observer perspective imagery. During field memories increased activity was observed in the right posterior amygdala, bilateral insula, and in left motor and somatosensory areas (Eich et al, 2009). These results, combined with behavioral results of this study showing that field memories were related to greater subjective emotionality, are consistent with studies associating subjective emotionality of autobiographical memories to the amygdala (Cabeza & St. Jacques, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To our knowledge there is only one study so far that directly investigated the neural systems mediating field and observer perspective when imagining memories (Eich et al, 2009). In this study participants performed four tasks, which during a second-session a week later were to be recalled in the scanner (Eich et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, both the insula and somatosensory areas have been previously linked to interoceptive awareness of one's feelings (e.g. Critchley et al, 2004;Pollatos et al, 2006) corresponding to the idea that adopting a field perspective as compared to an observer perspective is related to increased affective monitoring (Eich et al 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Eich et al (2009) used memory recall of tasks that were performed as part of the experiment and aimed to represent everyday life situations. However, our goal was to compare a field and observer perspective when imagining self-generated memories for both neutral and positive emotional events, reflecting better how mental imagery could be applied to memory recall in the context of self-generation of positive emotions and emotion regulation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Mental imagery of positive and neutral memories: A fMRI study comparing field perspective imagery to observer perspective imagery

Grol

Vingerhoets

Raedt

2017

Brain and Cognition

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Imagery perspective can influence what information is recalled, processing style, and emotionality; however, the understanding of possible mechanisms mediating these observed differences is still limited. We aimed to examine differences between memory recall from a field perspective and observer perspective at the neurobiological level, in order to improve our understanding of what is underlying the observed differences at the behavioral level. We conducted a fMRI study in healthy individuals, comparing imagery perspectives during recall of neutral and positive autobiographical memories. Behavioral results revealed field perspective imagery of positive memories, as compared to observer perspective, to be associated with more positive feelings afterwards. At the neurobiological level, contrasting observer perspective to field perspective imagery was associated with greater activity, or less decrease relative to the control visual search task, in the right precuneus and in the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ). Greater activity in the right TPJ during an observer perspective as compared to field perspective could reflect performing a greater shift of perspective and mental state during observer perspective imagery than field perspective imagery. Differential activity in the precuneus may reflect that during observer perspective imagery individuals are more likely to engage in (self-) evaluative processing and visuospatial processing. Our findings contribute to a growing understanding of how imagery perspective can influence the type of information that is recalled and the intensity of the emotional response. Observer perspective imagery may not automatically reduce emotional intensity but this could depend on how the imagined situation is evaluated in relation to the self-concept.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Mental imagery of positive and neutral memories: A fMRI study comparing field perspective imagery to observer perspective imagery

Grol

Vingerhoets

Raedt

2017

Brain and Cognition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Mental Imagery in Psychological Disorders

Holmes

Iyadurai

Jacob³

et al. 2015

Emerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences

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Mental imagery involves having an experience like perception but in the absence of a percept. We frequently have mental images such as when we remember an event or imagine the future. In psychological disorders, emotional mental images can flash to mind and be highly distressing, including traumatic memories or simulations of feared future events. However, emotional images have been neglected in research and therapy. This entry combines perspectives from cognitive science (mental imagery) and clinical psychology (psychological disorders). Cognitive science suggests that compared to verbal thoughts, mental imagery has a more powerful impact on emotion. Therefore, it is useful to ask about imagery in clinical assessment of emotional disorders. However, this approach has been largely restricted to PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder). First, we illustrate that emotional mental imagery occurs across a wide variety of disorders. Second, by mapping the nature of imagery in disorders where it has been neglected (e.g., bipolar disorder), we may be able to import existing imagery therapy techniques (e.g., from PTSD) to improve treatment. Third, by drawing on cognitive science, we can capitalize on the properties inherent to mental imagery to suggest novel techniques. For example, maladaptive imagery may be reduced by cognitive tasks, which interfere with holding an image in mind. Also, adaptive imagery may be boosted by computerized training in generating positive imagery. Intriguingly, this opens the possibility of cognitively informed and computerized psychological treatments that may look rather different from traditional talking therapies.

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Healthcare workers' memories in the COVID‐19 pandemic: The role of visual perspective and event centrality in subjective temporal distance

Bilgin,

Öner

2024

Applied Cognitive Psychology

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We investigated the factors associated with subjective temporal distance of pandemic‐related events in a sample of healthcare workers. A total of 257 healthcare workers were asked to recall two COVID‐19 pandemic‐related events that impacted them the most at the beginning of the pandemic (April–May 2020), and rated event centrality, phenomenological characteristics, subjective temporal distance, and visual perspective (field vs. observer) for each reported event. Results showed a negative relationship between subjective temporal distance and event centrality only for memories remembered from the field perspective (field memories), but not those remembered from the observer perspective (observer memories). Furthermore, event centrality enhanced recollection of sensory and perceptual details, which, in turn, resulted in memories being felt temporally closer to people. However, only field memories, not observer memories, revealed this pattern, showing that recollective experience shaped by visual perspective mediates the relationship between event centrality and subjective temporal distance.

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Neural systems mediating field and observer memories

Cited by 83 publications

References 43 publications

Mental imagery of positive and neutral memories: A fMRI study comparing field perspective imagery to observer perspective imagery

Mental imagery of positive and neutral memories: A fMRI study comparing field perspective imagery to observer perspective imagery

Mental Imagery in Psychological Disorders

Healthcare workers' memories in the COVID‐19 pandemic: The role of visual perspective and event centrality in subjective temporal distance

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