INVESTIGATING THE STRUCTURE OF AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORIES

Five experiments investigated the structure of autobiographical memories. In Experiments 1-3 a timed production paradigm was used, and Ss listed details of memories in free recall, in forward order (from first to last), in reverse order, in terms of centrality, and in term's of the interest value of the details. Memory detail production rates were significantly higher under free recall and forward order listing, and details listed in free recall were associated with the most personally important detail in a memory. Experiment 4 found that once a memory was accessed, both distinctive and beginning details of memories were available equally quickly, whereas Experiment 5 found that distinctive details provided significantly faster access to individual memories than beginning and ending details. These findings show that both personally significant knowledge and temporal knowledge play central roles in the organization of specific memories.