Autobiographical Memory

Rubin brings together and integrates the best contemporary work on the cognitive psychology of memories of the self. Autobiographical memory is the basis for most psychotherapies, an important repository of legal, historical, and literary information, and, in some views, the source of the concept of self. When it fails, it is the focus of serious complaints in many neurological disorders. Introductory chapters place the study of autobiographical memory in its historical, methodological, and theoretical contexts. Later chapters report original research concerning the recollections people have of substanial portions of their lives. Topics include the schematic and temporal organization of autobiographical memory, the temporal distribution of autobiographical memories, and failures of autobiographical memory in various forms of amnesia. Frontmatter......Page 1 Contents......Page 5 List of contributors......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 Part I - Overview......Page 11 I - Introduction......Page 13 Part II - Historical, theoretical, and methodological contexts for the study of autobiographical memory......Page 27 2 - Autobiographical memory: a historical prologue......Page 29 3 - What is autobiographical memory?......Page 35 4 - Ways of searching and the contents of memory......Page 60 Part III - The general organization of autobiographical memory......Page 79 5 - Nested structure in autobiographical memory......Page 81 6 - Schematization of autobiographical memory......Page 92 7 - Strategic memory search processes......Page 110 8 - Autobiographical memory: a developmental perspective......Page 132 Part IV - The temporal organization of autobiographical memory......Page 145 9 - Public memories and their personal context......Page 147 10 - Temporal reference systems and autobiographical memory......Page 169 Part V - Temporal distributions of autobiographical memories......Page 199 11 - Childhood amnesia: an empirical demonstration......Page 201 12 - Autobiographical memory across the lifespan......Page 212 Part VI - Failures of autobiographical memory......Page 233 13 - Amnesia, autobiographical memory, and confabulation......Page 235 14 - A case study of the forgetting of autobiographical knowledge: implications for the study of retrograde amnesia......Page 263 15 - Loss and recovery of autobiographical memory after head injury......Page 283 Author index......Page 301 Subject index......Page 307 Autobiographical Memory : A Historical Prologue / John A. Robinson -- What Is Autobiographical Memory / William F. Brewer -- Ways Of Searching And The Contents Of Memory / Marigold Linton -- Nested Structure In Autobiographical Memory / Ulric Neisser -- Schematization Of Autobiographical Memory / Craig R. Barclay -- Strategic Memory Search Processes / Brian J. Reiser, John B. Black, And Peter Kalamarides -- Autobiographical Memory : A Developmental Perspective / Joseph M. Fitzgerald -- Public Memories And Their Personal Context / Norman R. Brown, Steven K. Shevell, And Lance J. Rips -- Temporal Reference Systems And Autobiographical Memory / John A. Robinson -- Childhood Amnesia : An Empirical Demonstration / Scott E. Wetzler And John A. Sweeney -- Autobiographical Memory Across And Lifespan / David C. Rubin, Scott E. Wetzler, And Robert D. Nebes -- Amnesia, Autobiographical Memory, And Confabulation / Alan Baddeley And Barbara Wilson -- A Case Study Of The Forgetting Of Autobiographical Knowledge : Implications For The Study Of Retrograde Amnesia / Nelson Butters And Laird S. Cermak -- Loss And Recovery Of Autobiographical Memory After Head Injury / Herbert F. Crovitz. Edited By David C. Rubin. Includes Bibliographies And Indexes. Autobiographical memory is a major form of human memory. It is the basis of most psychotherapies, an important repository of legal, historical, and literary information, and, in some views, the source of the concept of self. When it fails, it is the focus of serious complaints in many neurological disorders.This timely book brings together and integrates the best contemporary work on the cognitive psychology of autobiographical memory. Introductory chapters place the study of autobiographical memory in its historical, methodological, and theoretical contexts; chapters reporting original research probe the recollections people have for substantial portions of their lives. Topics include the schematic and temporal organization of autobiographical memory, the temporal distribution of autobiographical memories, and the failures of autobigraphical memory in various forms of amnesia.Autobiographical Memory constitutes the first tutorial in this exciting new area of research. Cognitive psychologists, clinicians, researchers in artificial intelligence, and their students -- indeed, anyone interested in the processes that preserve and distort autobiography -- will find it a useful resource. Autobiographical memory is a major form of human memory. it is the basis of most psycotherapies, an important repository of legal, historical, and literary information, and, in some views, the source of the concept of self. When it fails, it is the focus of serious complaints in many neurological disorders. This timely book brings together and integrates the best contemporary work on the cognitive psychology of autobiographical memory. Introductory chapters place the study of autobiographical memory in its historical, methodological, and theoretical contexts; chapters reporting original research probe the recollections people have for substantial portions of their lives. Topics include the schematic and temporal organization of autobiographical memory, the temporal distribution of autobiographical memories, and the failures of autobiographical memory in various forms of amnesia. Autobiographical Memory constitutes the first tutorial in this exciting new area of research. Cognitive psychologists, clinicians, researchers in artificial intelligence, and their students - indeed, anyone interested in the processes that preserve and distort autobiography - will find it a useful resource