There is more to life stories than memories

Thomsen, Dorthe Kirkegaard

doi:10.1080/09658210902740878

Cited by 89 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

111

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The present study thus sought to elucidate the relationship between the emotional valence of semantic self-images and well-being. Based on recent work suggesting that semantic autobiographical memories support identity and organise autobiographical retrieval (Prebble et al, 2013;Thomsen, 2009), the second prediction was that in both younger and older adults, the emotional valence of semantic self-images would correlate more closely with measures of well-being than the emotional valence of episodic autobiographical memories.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…People with higher levels of well-being benefit from more than simply positive mood and good social relationships (Diener, 2013), they also have increased life expectancies and better physical health (Diener & Chan, 2011;Kok et al, 2013). Crucially, this study took the novel approach of comparing the roles of semantic and episodic autobiographical memory, addressing the recent call for more detailed investigation of the function of semantic components of autobiographical memory (e.g., Haslam, Jetten, Haslam, Pugliese, & Tonks, 2011;Prebble, Addis, & Tippett, 2013;Thomsen, 2009 self-images was more closely related to well-being than the valence of episodic autobiographical memories. Well-being may be associated with the way that autobiographical memories are framed (Philippe, Koestner, Beaulieu-Pelletier, Lecours, & Lekes, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Autobiographical memory and well-being in aging: The central role of semantic self-images

Rathbone

Holmes

Murphy

et al. 2015

Consciousness and Cognition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Higher levels of well-being are associated with longer life expectancies and better physical health. Previous studies suggest that processes involving the self and autobiographical memory are related to well-being, yet these relationships are poorly understood. The present study tested 32 older and 32 younger adults using scales measuring well-being and the affective valence of two types of autobiographical memory: episodic autobiographical memories and semantic self-images. Results showed that valence of semantic self-images, but not episodic autobiographical memories, was highly correlated with well-being, particularly in older adults. In contrast, well-being in older adults was unrelated to performance across a range of standardised memory tasks. These results highlight the role of semantic self-images in well-being, and have implications for the development of therapeutic interventions for well-being in aging.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autobiographical memory and well-being in aging: The central role of semantic self-images

Rathbone

Holmes

Murphy

et al. 2015

Consciousness and Cognition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…By other definitions, even this larger set of criteria would be considered insufficient to differentiate autobiographical from episodic memory. In the literature on self identity, for example, autobiographical memory is defined as a capacity that permits construction of a sequence of memories of temporally linked events, such as expressed in a life story or autobiography (e.g., Fivush, Habermas, Waters, & Zaman, 2011;Fivush & Zaman, 2014;Habermas & Bluck, 2000;McAdams, 2001; see also Conway & Pleydell-Pearce, 2000;Thomsen, 2009). From this perspective, retrieval of an autobiographical memory involves autobiographical consciousness, defined as a form of consciousness of a present self who is different from-yet temporally linked to-the past self who experienced the event (Fivush, 2012; see also Fivush & Zaman, 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, even at age 11 to 12 years, children's reports still are lacking in the causal connections (e.g., because, so that) that characterize older adolescents' and adults' narrative accounts (e.g., Bauer, Stark, Lukowski, Rademacher, Van Abbema, & Ackil, 2005;Habermas et al, 2010). In adolescence, individuals use their autobiographical memories to construct an extended life story or personal history (e.g., Bohn & Berntsen, 2008;Fivush & Zaman, 2014;Habermas & Bluck, 2000;Thomsen, 2009;see Bohn & Berntsen, 2014). The point of summarizing these changes is to illustrate the seeming arbitrariness of selecting any single development in verbal narrative behavior as indicative of the "onset" of autobiographical memory.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The psychology of intelligence analysis: Drivers of prediction accuracy in world politics.

Mellers¹,

Stone²,

Atanasov³

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied

134

130

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article extends psychological methods and concepts into a domain that is as profoundly consequential as it is poorly understood: intelligence analysis. We report findings from a geopolitical forecasting tournament that assessed the accuracy of more than 150,000 forecasts of 743 participants on 199 events occurring over 2 years. Participants were above average in intelligence and political knowledge relative to the general population. Individual differences in performance emerged, and forecasting skills were surprisingly consistent over time. Key predictors were (a) dispositional variables of cognitive ability, political knowledge, and openmindedness; (b) situational variables of training in probabilistic reasoning and participation in collaborative teams that shared information and discussed rationales (Mellers, Ungar, et al., 2014); and (c) behavioral variables of deliberation time and frequency of belief updating. We developed a profile of the best forecasters; they were better at inductive reasoning, pattern detection, cognitive flexibility, and open-mindedness. They had greater understanding of geopolitics, training in probabilistic reasoning, and opportunities to succeed in cognitively enriched team environments. Last but not least, they viewed forecasting as a skill that required deliberate practice, sustained effort, and constant monitoring of current affairs. A t APA, we understand how challenging it can be for you to stay abreast of the latest and best academic research on psychology. Disciplines Finance and Financial Management | Social and Behavioral Sciences

show abstract

“…The life narrative, a therapeutic tool which uses reminisce to provide discovery of deeper meaning and purpose in an individual's life [4,5], is a culturally competent technique widely used in social work and counseling. It helps caregivers to identify "purpose in life" as a psychological resource to help caregivers' sustain provision of care, and plays an important part in reducing the likelihood of caregivers' depressive symptoms [6].…”

Section: Commentarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Obstacles to Conducting a Life Story Project with Chinese American Family Caregivers

Lun¹

2017

J Gerontol Geriatr Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

CommentaryThis short report is to document the obstacles to conducting an evidence-based life story project with Chinese American family caregivers, and to discuss modifications needed for increasing participation.The call to develop program interventions that will address the cultural aspect of providing services to Chinese American family caregivers, enabling programs to improve caregiver well-being and sustain care to their loved ones, has been longstanding [1][2][3]. The life narrative, a therapeutic tool which uses reminisce to provide discovery of deeper meaning and purpose in an individual's life [4,5], is a culturally competent technique widely used in social work and counseling. It helps caregivers to identify "purpose in life" as a psychological resource to help caregivers' sustain provision of care, and plays an important part in reducing the likelihood of caregivers' depressive symptoms [6]. Echoing the previous study, a study with professionals who had worked with Chinese American family caregivers revealed that to strengthen family caregiving services, professionals need to enhance their supportive roles by providing opportunity for Chinese American family caregivers to divulge their inner feelings and hardships [7].To help Chinese American family caregivers view their lives in ways that are positive and constructive rather than as negative and dominated by problems and shortcomings, the life story project called "every caregiver has a story to tell" was implemented in a family caregiver program beginning 2016. Through the process of constructing and sharing life stories, stress due to caregiving can be reduced. A quasi-experimental pre-post research design was used to examine the effectiveness of a life story project on reducing caregiver stress. The investigator planned to meet with each family caregiver once a week for 3 weeks, with each session running for 45 minutes to an hour. Considering that some family caregivers were working, had other obligations, or for whom it was not feasible to come to the center, the investigator provided phone interviews at their preference. Semistructured questions were developed based on the stress theory that served as a guideline to facilitate recall of their caregiving experience including the following: health status of the care receiver as well as the relationship to the family caregiver, the length and types of caregiver assistance provided, additional caregiving resources, caregiver's health status, and detailed assessment of caregiver stress and burden.During the implementation of the project, the investigator experienced difficulty recruiting caregivers. The investigator was able to recruit 6 participants at the special meeting, but only one was willing to participate for follow-up. The reaction and willingness to participate in the project was below expectation. The investigator reviewed reasons for low response with several obstacles emerging:there was only a one-time presentation of the life story project offered to attract potential participants, the...

show abstract

There is more to life stories than memories

Cited by 89 publications

References 39 publications

Autobiographical memory and well-being in aging: The central role of semantic self-images

Autobiographical memory and well-being in aging: The central role of semantic self-images

The psychology of intelligence analysis: Drivers of prediction accuracy in world politics.

Obstacles to Conducting a Life Story Project with Chinese American Family Caregivers

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About