week 6- autobiographical memory and memory errors

Question 1

what is autobiographical memory?

Answer 1

memory over the lifespan

Question 2

what memories are most accurate for autobiographical memory?

Answer 2

exceptional events

Question 3

how did Rubin and colleagues (1998) study the reminiscence bump?

Answer 3

get older individual to come up w as many memories as they can & make timeline

Question 4

what is the reminiscence bump?

Answer 4

memories from 15 years old- 25 years old tends to stand out/stick out to us
see image 14

Question 5

what is infantile amnesia

Answer 5

We typically do not remember anything 3yo & younger

Question 6

what happens when we are shown photos/videos of when we’re 5 years old or younger?

Answer 6

Often if we do have a “memory” from 5yo or younger it is made up/phantom - We see photos or videos & construct memory in head because it feels so real but we actually have no recollection of it

Question 7

what 3 theories explain the reminiscence bump?

Answer 7

1. self image hypothesis
2. cognitive hypothesis
3. cultural life script hypothesis

Question 8

what is the self image hypothesis?

Answer 8

When you ask someone to describe/conceptualize themselves as a person it is usually themselves in their 20’s that they describe

Question 9

what age do we “find who we really are?”

Answer 9

our 20’s

Question 10

is the self image hypothesis a strong theory

Answer 10

no

Question 11

what is the cognitive hypothesis?

Answer 11

memories are better for adolescence and early adulthood because encoding is better during periods of rapid change that are followed by stability (ex immigration)

Question 12

what is the cultural script hypothesis

Answer 12

There are certain things we are grow up knowing/learning/thinking about such as expectations, “common sense”, role, goals , and a lot of these things are enforced/happen within the reminiscence bump
ex. University, moving out, serious romantic relationship, “real” job

Question 13

what type of arousal are we most likely to remember in terms of memories?

Answer 13

emotional events / emotional arousing events

Question 14

what can you pair with an image to help remember it better? name an example

Answer 14

emotionally arousing activity (ex. sticking your hand in a bucket of ice cold water)

Question 15

what brain structure plays a large role in emotion

Answer 15

amygdala

Question 16

what did Rimmele and Colleagues (2011) study in terms of emotion and memory?

Answer 16

Had individuals study scenes w a coloured border (images to
right)
- Nature, calming, accidents
Results: Individuals remembered emotionally arousing scenes over neutral
scenes & individuals did not remember the border colour of the emotionally arousing scenes

Question 17

in the study by Rimmele and Colleagues (2011), why didn’t individuals remember the border colour of emotionally arousing images?

Answer 17

because when looking at
something emotionally arousing we remember central details & not peripheral details

Question 18

what is a flashbulb memory?

Answer 18

A memory (typically a public event)that we think we remember well→ where we were, what we were doing, emotions (ex. 9/11, covid)

Question 19

what type of events typically characterize flashbulb memories

Answer 19

Typically negative events but they ca be positive

Question 20

what did Neisser & Harsch (1992) study in terms of flashbulb memories

Answer 20

1986 space shuttle challenger explosion
- Day after; had students come into lab & explain details/circumstances of their day when they heard about this happening
- months/years later they got back in contact w individuals & asked them again (comparison of 2 stories on lecture slide)
RESULTS: Typically completely different than initial story; simply due to time
& living

Question 21

what did Ost & Colleagues (2002) study in terms of flashbulb memories

Answer 21

997 Princess Diana crash
- Asked participants details about the accident → asked if they remember seeing car crash images shown → NOTE: car crash images were not shown on the media/news at all
- But, 44% said yes they remember seeing car crash images shown

Question 22

what did Talarico & Rubin (2003) study in terms of flashbulb memories?

Answer 22

• Studying memory of 9/11
• Had students the day after 9/11 give details of their deir day w that event happening
• (1) Then after a few days they asked about other personal
  negative events
• Found; individuals we lacking in memory of details of
  both 9/11 event as well as personal negative events
• (2) Asked individuals to compare their confidence in
  remembering details of 9/11 vs other personal negative events
• Found; individuals believed they remember strongly details of 9/11
  & not details of other negative personal events

Question 23

is there overlap in our lab-based/learned memory & our authentic memory? why?

Answer 23

no. in neuroimaging studies, different parts of the brain lit up when recalling authentic memories vs. lab based learning

Question 24

what can an individual do if they have superior autobiographical memory?

Answer 24

• Individual can remember everything in their life; no matter how long ago or how small of a detail
• Their mental timeline unfolds in their head & they can simply put everything into place from there

Question 25

what is a limitation of having a superior autobiographical memory?

Answer 25

limited to their everyday experiences → would not effective in lab-based learning/experiments

Question 26

what can an individual do if they have exceptional lab based memory?

Answer 26

Individual can remember everything everything they’ve learned/taught

Question 27

our ______ of memories can change constantly

Answer 27

perspective
(We see them in our mind in different ways & explain them in different ways)

Question 28

what is the war of ghosts study on memories?

Answer 28

After students read story they were asked to remember as many details possible; so they would write as many details possible
- Would remember people in story hunting fish not seals; they are culturally used to fish hunting & not deal hunting → this morphed the details they
remembered of story

Question 29

what did the “the baby stayed awake all night” study show?

Answer 29

Individuals were shown “the baby stayed awake all night”
- Next day brought it an shown “the baby ___ all night” & were asked to fill in the sentences; typically filled it in w “cry”

Question 30

why did people do what they did in the “the baby stayed awake all night” study?

Answer 30

This is because our brain makes inferences based on general knowledge; hence knowing babies typically cry through the night

Question 31

what is schematic knowledge?

Answer 31

We have a sense of how things are supposed to go together in the world

Question 32

what is script knowledge?

Answer 32

• We have a sense of how particular events occur; script
• When something goes “off script” we feel uncomfortable & confused

Question 33

what is spreading activation?

Answer 33

Brain is activated when similar things occur & said activation spreads→ it starts to link other things to it

Question 34

what did the study on sleep and spreading activation show?

Answer 34

Seeing list of words related to sleeping (but “sleep” was not on list)
- Bed, tired, yawn, night, blanket, bed, rest
- After seeing list were shown list of words & asked if they were on
previous list → 80% said yes to thinking sleep being on list

Question 35

what 5 things can change our perspective on our memories?

Answer 35

1. Cultural influences (hunting fish study)
2. General knowledge (the baby stayed awake all night study)
3. Schematic knowledge
4. Script knowledge
5. Spreading activation (sleep study)

Question 36

what was Loftus and Colleagues (1978) study on the misinformation effect?

Answer 36

Participants watch a car accident at a stop sign, half asked about a yield sign (“Did another car pass
by when the red
Datsun was stopped at
the yield sign?”)
RESULTS: participants more likely to report seeing yield sign if asked about it!

Question 37

what is the misinformation effect?

Answer 37

occurs when post-event info alters the original memory

Question 38

what is the suggestibility effect?

Answer 38

How you ask people to remember the past can affect their response

Question 39

how (specifically) can the suggestibility effect happen?

Answer 39

• You remember something a certain way then see things related to it (photos, news stories), that make you start thinning about it more & you end up modifying you original memory

Question 40

how can the suggestibility effect affect therapy?

Answer 40

When trying to figure out something that may have been root to a problem - Getting them to “think” or “imagine” → the more we do this w an
experience the more we will convince ourselves of it being an actual memory

Question 41

what 4 things should you do for an ideal eyewitness lineup?

Answer 41

1. Should inform witness that suspect may not be in line-up
2. Should use fillers similar to suspect (foils)
3. Should present individuals sequentially rather than simultaneously (one by one not all at the same time)
4. Should use “blind” administrator