Theme 4: Autobiographical Memory &
Consolidation
A Basic-Systems Approach to Autobiographical Memory
Rubin (2005)
Autobiographical memories (ABMs) are typically multimodal, vary in spatial, temporal,
emotional, and narrative content and context, and have personal relevance
Systems that play a role in ABM:
- individual senses
- a multimodal spatial system which notes the location of objects, people, emotion,
and language
- a narrative system that keeps track of causal relations
- an explicit memory system that coordinates or binds info from the other systems
the self is not a single entity; rather, it is distributed among the individual systems
Phenomenology of ABM
Two central properties of ABM are
a. a sense of recollection and
b. the belief that memories are accurate
The average strength of recollection is predicted by the vividness of visual imagery and
to a lesser extent by their auditory imagery, emotion, and narrative coherence. Valid
visual retro-cues can also enhance recollection regardless of the memory’s
modality
The average degree of belief in the accuracy of memories is predicted by spatial context
clarity and by narrative coherence. It also correlates with depression and dissociation
(negatively) and Openness to Experience (positively)
Neuropsychology of ABM
Amnesia: loss of ABM due to damage to the hippocampus and/or other structures in the
medial temporal area.
Consolidation
A Basic-Systems Approach to Autobiographical Memory
Rubin (2005)
Autobiographical memories (ABMs) are typically multimodal, vary in spatial, temporal,
emotional, and narrative content and context, and have personal relevance
Systems that play a role in ABM:
- individual senses
- a multimodal spatial system which notes the location of objects, people, emotion,
and language
- a narrative system that keeps track of causal relations
- an explicit memory system that coordinates or binds info from the other systems
the self is not a single entity; rather, it is distributed among the individual systems
Phenomenology of ABM
Two central properties of ABM are
a. a sense of recollection and
b. the belief that memories are accurate
The average strength of recollection is predicted by the vividness of visual imagery and
to a lesser extent by their auditory imagery, emotion, and narrative coherence. Valid
visual retro-cues can also enhance recollection regardless of the memory’s
modality
The average degree of belief in the accuracy of memories is predicted by spatial context
clarity and by narrative coherence. It also correlates with depression and dissociation
(negatively) and Openness to Experience (positively)
Neuropsychology of ABM
Amnesia: loss of ABM due to damage to the hippocampus and/or other structures in the
medial temporal area.
