Self-defining Memories Research Articles

Emotional valence of self-defining memories in older adults: A longitudinal study.

The present study aimed to evaluate the pleasantness bias and fading affect bias in self-defining memories (SDMs) and to examine the relationship between their emotional valence of SDMs and cognitive function and serotonin transporter polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR) with a prospective longitudinal method. Ninety-two older adults recalled SDMs twice at an interval of one year (T1 and T2). The results showed a pleasantness bias and a fading affect bias in SDMs. The higher the working memory was, the higher the vividness of SDMs and the higher the concordance rate of SDMs between T1 and T2. Meanwhile, cognitive performance had no effect on the emotional valence of SDMs. Additionally, the repeatedly recalled SDMs in the S/S allele carriers of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism changed with a lower negative valence at T2 than at T1. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism may be a plasticity factor that predicts positive outcomes in positive situations.

The Reconstructive Play of Memory: Commentary on David Edwards’ Case Study of Schema Therapy

This commentary discusses David Edwards’s (2022) case study of "Kelly’s circle of safety and healing: An extended schema therapy narrative and interpretative investigation," published in Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy. It examines Edwards’s efforts to integrate his imagistic/experiential therapeutic approach to a client’s maladaptive schemas based in childhood recollections with a contemporary model of autobiographical memory, Conway’s Self Memory System. Although I think there is much merit in this integration, particularly in highlighting reconstructive and re-imagining aspects of memory, I call attention to crucial relational dimensions of this reconstruction in a therapeutic dyad. Similarly, in encouraging continued development of this synthesis between schema therapy and autobiographical memory research, I suggest that constructs from Narrative Identity theory including the life story, self-defining memories, and narrative scripts would be of great value. Finally, I note that we are still in preliminary stages of establishing empirical linkages that would support Kelly’s full integrative vision.

Autobiographical memory and the self: A transition theory perspective.

In contrast to much theoretical work on the topic, Transition Theory (Brown, 2016, 2021) attempts to account for important aspects of autobiographical memory in a way that emphasizes the structure of experience, rather than the relation between personal-event memories and the Self. This article provides the rationale for adopting this minimalist stance. Here it is argued that: (a) an all-inclusive notion of the Self is of little utility to the study of autobiographical memory because virtually all sentient goal-directed activities can be seen as reflecting the Self, hence, adopting this view provides no bias for predicting event memorability; (b) although some event memories are clearly Self-relevant (e.g., life-story events, turning points, self-defining memories), most are not; (c) the formation of and access to Self-knowledge typically does not depend on the availability of specific autobiographical memories; rather, (d) Self-knowledge is generally derived from massive amounts of readily forgotten role-relevant experience. This article is categorized under: Philosophy > Representation Philosophy > Knowledge and Belief Psychology > Memory.

“It took me back 25 years in one bound”: self-generated flavor-based cues for self-defining memories in later life

“It took me back 25 years in one bound”: self-generated flavor-based cues for self-defining memories in later life

“O’er the hilltops is the word of God” – Abraham Joshua Heschel’s prototypical self-defining memory and its relationship to his vision of the good life

Abraham Heschel (1907–1972) was a Jewish theologian and rabbi who grew up in Poland, received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Berlin, and fled from the Nazis to the United States prior to World War II. Heschel was widely respected for his books about human beings’ engaged relationship with God and later for his civil rights and anti-war activism. His most enduring message was that religion's truth lies not in purging of sin or worshipping divine perfection, but in recognition of God’s intimate and felt presence in human lives.This articleillustrates how Heschel’s narrative identity and perspective on the “good life” can be traced through a specific evocative self-defining memory from his life, a “prototypical scene.” A psychobiographical analysis demonstrates how this memory meets all five criteria of the prototypical scene. The analysis draws on Heschel’s books, poetry, and essays, multiple secondary sources, and interviews with his biographer, Edward Kaplan and his daughter, Susannah Heschel. It also contrasts Heschel vision of a “God-centered” life with contemporary psychological perspectives on what constitutes a “good life.” It concludes by highlighting how narrative memory analysis can provide depth and dimension to personality psychology.

Monitoring the emotional facial reactions of individuals with antisocial personality disorder during the retrieval of self-defining memories.

While a deficit in the recognition of facial expression has been demonstrated in persons with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), few studies have investigated how individuals with ASPD produce their own emotional facial expressions. This study examines the production of facial emotional expressions of male inpatients with ASPD in a forensic hospital compared with a control group as they retrieve autobiographical memories. This design constitutes a specific ecological experimental approach fostering the evocation of personal feelings. Two indicators characterizing the activation of facial expression were used: activation of emotional action units and emotional dominance. The results showed that individuals with ASPD 1) activated angrier facial expressions than control participants for both indicators, 2) displayed a higher dominance of angry facial expressions during the retrieval of positive self-defining memories than control participants and 3) recalled significant memories that were less associated with neutral facial states than the control sample, regardless of the valence of their memories. These findings highlight the core role of anger in ASPD and the possible development of pathological anger, which would distinguish trajectories toward anxious or mood disorders and trajectories characterized by external disorders.

The pupil and myself: pupil dilation during retrieval of self-defining memories.

There is a recent interest in pupil dilation during the retrieval of autobiographical memory. We pursued this line of research by measuring pupil diameter during the retrieval of self-defining memories, that is, memories that are highly vivid, emotionally intense, and are retrieved to reflect enduring concerns in a person's life. We invited 40 participants to retrieve self-defining memories while their pupil activity was recorder with eye-tracking glasses. We analyzed memories regarding specificity (i.e., specific or general) and emotional valence (neutral, positive, negative, or mixed). Analysis demonstrated larger pupil diameter during the retrieval of specific than general self-defining memories. However, no significant differences in pupil diameter were observed across the four emotional categories of self-defining memories. The increased pupil size during retrieval of specific self-defining memories can be attributed to the autonoetic experience during retrieval of these memories and/or to the cognitive load as required to construct these memoires. By investigating pupil dilation during the retrieval of self-defining memories, our study provides an original, ecological, and reliable physiological assessment of these memories.

Even the good life has an ending: Virtue in the face of finitude

How the good life manifests in one’s narrative identity may be shaped by their consideration that their life story will have an ending. This study takes a eudaimonic approach, investigating human virtues (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) as central to the good life. Since reflection on life’s finitude may depend on age, three adult life phases were sampled (young, middle-aged, and older adults). Narrative identity was tapped through a self-defining memory (SDM) as well as descriptors of the SDM provided in line with one of two conditions: (i) Current-SDM, according to classic SDM instructions, or (ii) Memorialize-SDM, according to instructions prompting them to consider death, and how they want to be remembered. SDMs were content-analyzed for total virtues present, and type of virtue present. Two-way ANOVA showed more virtues, in total, were narrated in Memorialize-SDMs than Current-SDMs, regardless of participant age. Humanity and Courage & Justice occurred more frequently than other virtues in the SDMs. Narrative examples of virtue are presented and discussed. Findings suggest that, compared to those considering only their current life circumstance, individuals considering their death more frequently refer to having a virtuous, good life.

Self-defining memories among persons with mental health, substance use, cognitive, and physical health conditions: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Background Self-defining memories (SDMs) are important for identifying one’s purpose in life, achieving goals, and overcoming challenging situations. Individual studies have demonstrated differences in the characteristics of SDMs between clinical and non-clinical populations. This systematic literature review aimed to summarise and compare SDM characteristics among those with mental, substance use, cognitive, neurodevelopmental, and physical health challenges. Methods Peer-reviewed English-language studies were included if they evaluated SDMs in these groups. Results Thirty-five studies (N = 3123) were included. SDM content across all clinical populations tended to focus on illness themes. SDMs were generally less specific and integrated in those with mental health or substance use disorders as compared to non-clinical populations. SDM specificity and integration findings were more mixed in those with cognitive, neurodevelopmental, and physical health challenges. Conclusions Specific differences emerged between groups of individuals which may be related to illness characteristics, recovery trajectory, and individual differences in the ability to understand and process difficult life events.

Importance de la mémoire autobiographique chez les patients antisociaux

The study of autobiographical memory allows the understanding of identity construction. Narrative identity is fundamental to ensure continuity in one's life history. Over the last five years, we have witnessed a boom in scientific research highlighting narrative identity disorders in people with Antisocial Personality Disorder. These studies focus on the methodology of Recall of Self-Defining Memories. People with Antisocial Personality Disorder have difficulty integrating their memories, recall more multiple memories with negative valence, and refer to threatening or relational life events. The narrative incoherence observed could be characteristic of the disturbed identity functioning in young adults with Antisocial Personality Disorder. It would be interesting to study this functioning earlier in the life trajectory of adolescents with a Conduct Disorder. Assessing the Self-Defining Memories of these adolescents can clarify the identity related to the development of their criminal trajectory and identify the presence of narrative coherence. The aim is to interfere in the construction of their identity and to accompany them earlier in their forensic trajectory in order to improve the integration of their potentially traumatic life experiences. This psychological work to identify and make sense of traumatic experiences should have a beneficial effect on the regulation of the negative emotions generated by these memories. We hypothesise that antisocial behaviour and childhood adversity are more related to the inability to integrate than personality disorder.

Therapy based on positive self-defining memories for older women with depressive disorder and associated ruminations: a pilot study.

Depressive disorders hinder the retrieval of positive memories, which is the mechanism strategically used by healthy subjects to cope with negative feelings. An adjustment to this strategy to deal with depression affecting elderly women presenting ruminative responses could be obtained by materialising a number of positive self-defining memories. This innovative cognitive therapeutic method should lead to a decrease in the rumination rate and an improvement in depressive disorders for ageing women. Our study, which included 14 depressed women over the age of 65 who presented with ruminative responses, was divided into two groups according to the severity of their depressive disorder (moderate or severe). Participants collected positive self-defining memories in a notebook over three sessions, which was used independently over the three following weeks. The results show a significant decrease in rumination, regardless of the disorder severity. A significant improvement in the depressive disorder was observed in the elderly women with moderate depressive disorder but stagnated after the support phase. These data highlight the interest of this therapeutic method for the treatment of patients suffering from moderate depression, while further studies will be required to adjust it for severely affected patients.

Self-defining memories-Narrative features in relation to adaptive and maladaptive personality traits (replication and extension of Blagov & Singer, 2004).

Self-defining memories (SDMs) are units of life-story analysis, whose features resemble elements from narrative identity's factorial structure. To bridge narrative-identity and personality-trait domains, we conducted a replication and extension of prior research. We linked four SDM features - affect, specificity, meaning making, and content - to the Big Three trait domains of personality and psychopathology in a small sample that was well-powered for multilevel modeling (133 participants, 1330 SDMs). Affect SDM affect correlated with indices of Positive Emotionality and Negative Emotionality, and narrative themes of contamination were associated with Negative Emotionality. Specificity SDM specificity vs. overgenerality related to Constraint and Negative Emotionality indices, lending support to the executive dysfunction and emotional disorder theories of overgeneral autobiographical memory. (Tests of the avoidance thesis of overgeneral memory were inconclusive.) Meaning making Explicit meaning making in SDMs reflected adaptive personality. It moderated (or buffered) the link between SDMs' affect and chronic emotional distress. Content The links between SDM content and traits suggest that SDMs reflect personal goals, whose fulfillment or frustration relate to psychological health. This research serves replication purposes as well as the purpose of connecting two major domains of personality: narrative identity and adaptive and maladaptive traits.

To remember, or not to remember? Potential impact of memory modification on narrative identity, personal agency, mental health, and well-being.

Memory modification technologies (MMTs)—interventions within the memory affecting its functions and contents in specific ways—raise great therapeutic hopes but also great fears. Ethicists have expressed concerns that developing and using MMTs may endanger the very fabric of who we are—our personal identity. This threat has been mainly considered in relation to two interrelated concerns: truthfulness and narrative self‐constitution. In this article, we propose that although this perspective brings up important matters concerning the potential aftermaths of MMT utilization, it fails to tell the whole story. We suggest that capturing more tangible potential consequences of MMT use, namely, its psychological ramifications is crucial both in ethical considerations and in making decisions regarding the permissibility of such interventions. To this end, we first examine what current MMTs are capable of and what are the prospects of emerging MMTs. Subsequently, we outline the relationship between memory and personal identity; specifically, we indicate that concepts of self‐defining memories and narrative identity are crucial to considering how MMTs may influence one's psychological functioning. On this basis, we analyze potential consequences of narrative disruption that may be the result of the use of MMTs; more precisely, we consider its potential effects on mental health, well‐being, and personal agency, and outline the ethical dilemmas that decision‐makers face in this context. We conclude by considering the broader cultural context that may have influence on policymaking regarding permissibility of memory modification interventions.

The smell of my self: Odor exposure increases the number of self-defining memories in Alzheimer’s disease

The smell of my self: Odor exposure increases the number of self-defining memories in Alzheimer’s disease

The association of autonomy support on memory need satisfaction and goal progress

Self-defining memories reflect our enduring concerns (past and present) and our desired future outcomes. One of the important characteristics of self-defining memories is need satisfaction, such that the higher level of satisfaction of the needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence in memories positively predicts well-being and relationship satisfaction. Based on past research showing that autonomy supportive environments promote need satisfaction, we hypothesized that autonomy support would lead to greater goal-related need satisfying memories which would in turn promote goal progress. We conducted three prospective studies to test our hypothesis. Participants were asked to list a current goal, and to rate perceived autonomy support from a significant other and their goal progress. They were also asked to select and describe a significant memory related to the goal and rate the extent to which they felt competent, autonomous and related in the memory. We found that changes in need satisfaction in goal-related memories over time mediated the relationship between autonomy support and goal progress. This paper highlights how interpersonal support can influence self-regulation by shaping self-defining memories.

Development of a Structured Interview to Explore Interpersonal Schema of Older Adults Living Alone Based on Autobiographical Memory

With a growing public interest in the social health of older adults, studies focusing on social networks and interpersonal relationships of older adults are needed. The present study was conducted to develop a structured interview to evaluate the interpersonal schema based on Self-Defining Memory of older adults. First, the word cues that the older adults often report on interpersonal events were confirmed. Next, the indices and scoring rules were prepared, including Relationship frequency (RF), Conflict frequency (CF), Dominance mean (Dm), and Warmth mean (Wm). Healthy older adults living alone (mean age = 71.81, SD = 3.95) were interviewed. Finally, the correlation between each index and Short form of Korean Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scales (KIIP-SC) was analyzed for criterion validity. The inter-rater reliability was substantial (Kappa = 0.61~0.66). Based on the analysis of criterion validity, the indices of CF, Dm, and Wm indices showed an appropriate level of criterion validity. This study developed a structural interview based on a novel system of reporting autobiographical memory and established indices with appropriate validity to evaluate interpersonal relationships. The interview is expected to identify the characteristics of interpersonal relationships of the older adults and contribute to the establishment of the older adults’ community accordingly.

Rehearsal and Event Age Predict the Fading Affect Bias across Young Adults and Elderly in Self-Defining and Everyday Autobiographical Memories

ABSTRACT The faster fading of unpleasant affect than pleasant affect is known as the Fading Affect Bias (FAB). The FAB generalizes across cultures and event types, it is positively related to rehearsals and healthy outcomes, and it is negatively related to unhealthy outcomes. Experiment 1 Objective, Sample/Population, and Method: We examined the importance of different rehearsal types for the FAB across self-defining and everyday events in 58 college age participants using a self-guided questionnaire procedure in Experiment 1. Experiment 1 Results: We found robust FAB effects across event types, FAB increased with both event age and event sharing (number of people), and rehearsals mediated these relations. Moreover, event sharing and talking about the event combined to predict the FAB. Experiment 2 Objective, Sample/Population, and Method: In Experiment 2, we used the self-guided questionnaire procedure from Experiment 1 for 31 college students and 12 elderly participants 68 to 84 years old, as well as an interview procedure with 13 elderly participants 68 to 94 years old. Experiment 2 Results: We combined the elderly data because both groups showed similar FAB patterns. We found robust FAB effects across both event types, the FAB increased with event age and participant age, and it increased with talking rehearsals. Conclusions: The results extend the FAB to self-defining events and the elderly, they emphasize the importance of various rehearsal types, and they are in line with FAB research, age research, and research on several emotion regulation models.

How to project oneself without positive and integrated memories? Exploration of self-defining memories and future projections in bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a disabling disorder with functional impact on everyday life. Recent studies suggest that autobiographical memory impairment may contribute to the maintenance of psychopathology, leading to enduring altered self-construct. Moreover, past personal experiences also support the ability to project oneself into the future to pre-experience an event, this capacity can be modified by psychiatric disorders. Self-defining memories and future projections by accessing highly significant events that are vivid and focused on central goals or enduring concerns can both provide a better understanding of the impact of disorders on self-perception and on the ability to project oneself into the future. Therefore we proposed to explore self-defining memories and future projections in BD patients (n = 25) compared to control participants (n = 25). BD patients' self-defining events were associated with more tension, life-threatening events, and negative emotion. BD patients also reported less integrated past but not less integrated future self-defining events. And their future projections were more closely related to leisure, and associated with positive emotions, compared to controls. For both groups, the future projections were less specific, integrated, and tense than the memories. These results question the self-coherence of patients’ identity and should be confirmed to propose appropriate interventions to project oneself adaptively into the future and contribute to a better outcome.

A Cross-Cultural Study of Self-Defining Memories in Chinese and American College Students.

Self-defining memories (SDMs) are touchstones in individuals’ narrative identity. This is the first SDM study to compare college students from the mainland People’s Republic of China (PRC) to American college students. It examined SDMs, Big Five personality traits, and memory function in 60 students from each country (n = 120). Participants rated their memories for affect, recall frequency, and importance. Chinese students recalled their most positively rated memories more frequently and with greater importance, while American students did not show this pattern. American students who scored higher in Openness were more likely to recall negative memories. Memory content coding revealed that Chinese students recalled significantly more guilt/shame events than American students. Further analysis indicated that these memories were particularly focused on academic performance and parental expectations. The discussion suggests that follow-up studies look at differing emotion regulation strategies in the two countries, as well as at how the two different educational systems are affecting late adolescent identity formation processes.

How Will I Be Remembered? Reflection on Virtues in Self-Defining Memories Across Adulthood

Reflection on memorialization may differentially influence nomination and narration of self-defining memories across the lifespan, including the extent to which positive character strengths (i.e., virtues) are represented. We investigated characteristics of self-defining memories across adulthood and in the context of being memorialized after death. Young, middle-age, and older adults were randomly assigned to narrate a memorialization-based self-defining memory (a memory to describe you after you are gone; n = 103) or current self-defining memory (a memory to describe your current self; n = 99). Participants rated qualities of their memory (e.g., personal significance) and the extent to which the memory represents them as virtuous (e.g., courageous, empathic, etc.). There were no age or condition differences in personal significance of the memory narrative (p = 0.43). However, there was an age-by-condition interaction for representations of virtue described in the self-defining memory, F(2, 199) = 3.94, p = 0.002. Young adults rated their self-defining memories as more virtuous in the memorialization condition than in the current self condition (p = 0.001). Middle-age (p = 0.95) and older (p = 0.94) adults rated their self-defining memories as portraying similar levels of virtue across conditions. Unlike their middle-age and older counterparts, young adults report embodiment of virtue differently in unique contexts. Findings are discussed in the framework of how individuals’ views of the self as virtuous change in relation to time lived and time left to live.