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Gamoran A, Lieberman L, Gilead M, Dobbins IG, Sadeh T. Detecting recollection: Human evaluators can successfully assess the veracity of others' memories. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310979121. [PMID: 38781212 PMCID: PMC11145205 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310979121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Humans have the highly adaptive ability to learn from others' memories. However, because memories are prone to errors, in order for others' memories to be a valuable source of information, we need to assess their veracity. Previous studies have shown that linguistic information conveyed in self-reported justifications can be used to train a machine-learner to distinguish true from false memories. But can humans also perform this task, and if so, do they do so in the same way the machine-learner does? Participants were presented with justifications corresponding to Hits and False Alarms and were asked to directly assess whether the witness's recognition was correct or incorrect. In addition, participants assessed justifications' recollective qualities: their vividness, specificity, and the degree of confidence they conveyed. Results show that human evaluators can discriminate Hits from False Alarms above chance levels, based on the justifications provided per item. Their performance was on par with the machine learner. Furthermore, through assessment of the perceived recollective qualities of justifications, participants were able to glean more information from the justifications than they used in their own direct decisions and than the machine learner did.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avi Gamoran
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva8410501, Israel
| | - Lilach Lieberman
- Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva8410501, Israel
- Zelman School of Brain Sciences and Cognition, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva8410501, Israel
| | - Michael Gilead
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv6997801, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv6997801, Israel
| | - Ian G. Dobbins
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO63130
| | - Talya Sadeh
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva8410501, Israel
- Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva8410501, Israel
- Zelman School of Brain Sciences and Cognition, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva8410501, Israel
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Yeung RC, Fernandes MA. Recurrent involuntary memories and mind wandering are related but distinct. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024:10.1007/s00426-024-01961-w. [PMID: 38652302 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-024-01961-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Spontaneous thought is common in daily life, and includes recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs; memories retrieved unintentionally and repetitively) and mind wandering (MW). Both recurrent IAMs and MW are often unintentional or unconstrained, and both predict symptoms of mental health disorders. However, not all MW is unintentional, and not all IAMs are unconstrained. To what extent do recurrent IAMs and MW converge versus diverge? Undergraduates (N = 2,701) completed self-report measures of recurrent IAMs, trait MW, and psychopathology (i.e., PTSD, depression, anxiety). Regressions indicated that recurrent IAMs were significantly associated with spontaneous MW, but not deliberate MW. Further, both spontaneous MW and recurrent IAMs had unique relationships with disorder symptoms. Results suggest that recurrent IAMs are related to MW to the extent that recurrent IAMs are spontaneous. Conversely, recurrent IAMs are distinct from MW to the extent that recurrent IAMs' associations with disorder symptoms could not be solely explained by trait MW (and vice versa). This work highlights related, but distinguishable, forms of spontaneous thought and their transdiagnostic links with psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Yeung
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
| | - Myra A Fernandes
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
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Reed LS, Evans LH. The positive dimension of schizotypy is associated with self-report measures of autobiographical memory and future thinking but not experimenter-scored indices. Memory 2024; 32:383-395. [PMID: 38466582 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2024.2325525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACTThe ability to remember our past and to imagine the future are critical to our sense of self. Previous research has indicated that they are disrupted in schizophrenia. However, it is unclear (i) whether this is found when examining experimenter-scored indices of content and/or participants' self-report of phenomenological characteristics, and (ii) how these abilities might be related to symptoms. This study sought to address these questions by taking a dimensional approach and measuring positive and negative schizotypal experiences in healthy people (n = 90). Participants were given cue words. For some, they remembered an event from the past and for others they generated an event in the future. No significant relationships were found with any aspect of schizotypy when participants' descriptions were scored by the experimenter according to a standardised episodic content measure. In contrast, several significant positive correlations were observed for past memory and future thinking when examining the positive dimension of schizotypy and participants' ratings, particularly to sensory characteristics of the experience and mental pre- or reliving. These results indicate enhanced subjective experiences of autobiographical memory and future thinking in those who report delusional and hallucinatory-like occurrences, which might be linked to mental imagery or metacognitive alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie S Reed
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lisa H Evans
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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Chiorri C, Vannucci M. The Subjective Experience of Autobiographical Remembering: Conceptual and Methodological Advances and Challenges. J Intell 2024; 12:21. [PMID: 38392177 PMCID: PMC10890313 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The investigation of the phenomenology of autobiographical memories (i.e., how a memory is subjectively experienced and its meaning) has provided an important contribution to our understanding of autobiographical remembering. Over the last two decades, the study of phenomenology has received widespread scientific attention, and the field has undergone quite relevant conceptual and methodological changes. In the present work, we (1) review some basic and well-established research findings and methodological achievements; (2) discuss new theoretical and methodological challenges, with a special focus on the issue of the phenomenological experience of the retrieval process and its relationship with the phenomenology of the products of retrieval; and (3) propose an alternative way of conceptualizing and understanding it in the framework of experimental phenomenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Chiorri
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso A. Podestà 2, 16128 Genova, Italy
| | - Manila Vannucci
- Department of Neurofarba, Section of Psychology, University of Florence, Via San Salvi 12, Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
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Yeung RC, Danckert J, van Tilburg WAP, Fernandes MA. Disentangling boredom from depression using the phenomenology and content of involuntary autobiographical memories. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2106. [PMID: 38267475 PMCID: PMC10808106 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52495-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs) are memories retrieved unintentionally and repetitively. We examined whether the phenomenology and content of recurrent IAMs could differentiate boredom and depression, both of which are characterized by affective dysregulation and spontaneous thought. Participants (n = 2484) described their most frequent IAM and rated its phenomenological properties (e.g., valence). Structural topic modeling, a method of unsupervised machine learning, identified coherent content within the described memories. Boredom proneness was positively correlated with depressive symptoms, and both boredom proneness and depressive symptoms were correlated with more negative recurrent IAMs. Boredom proneness predicted less vivid recurrent IAMs, whereas depressive symptoms predicted more vivid, negative, and emotionally intense ones. Memory content also diverged: topics such as relationship conflicts were positively predicted by depressive symptoms, but negatively predicted by boredom proneness. Phenomenology and content in recurrent IAMs can effectively disambiguate boredom proneness from depressive symptoms in a large sample of undergraduate students from a racially diverse university.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Yeung
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - James Danckert
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | - Myra A Fernandes
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Storms G. If My Memory Serves Me Well: Investigating My Memory for the Past 24 Years. J Cogn 2024; 7:16. [PMID: 38250560 PMCID: PMC10798175 DOI: 10.5334/joc.334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper reports on a study of my autobiographical memory for 2691 notes recorded over 24 years in my diary, without any intention to ever use the notes as test material. I never read any of the notes again until the start of the memory study. I remembered less than two thirds of the recorded events and the retention curve showed a curvilinear shape. I dated 2% of the described events correctly but misdated on average about one and a half year, with an equal number of over and underestimations of the event age. Retention correlated significantly with ratings of salience, emotional involvement, pleasantness, event rehearsal and self-relatedness, but not with intimacy. Dating accuracy correlated with salience, pleasantness, intimacy and event rehearsal, but not with emotional involvement or self-relatedness. Regression analyses showed that event rehearsal was the best predictor of retention and dating, but the predictive value of other ratings was dependent on the content of the recorded events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Storms
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, B3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Cárdenas-Egúsquiza AL, Berntsen D. Individual differences in autobiographical memory predict the tendency to engage in spontaneous thoughts. Memory 2023; 31:1134-1146. [PMID: 37463278 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2229085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in autobiographical memory have become a research area of interest, but little is known about its associations with other individual differences dimensions, such as the tendency to engage in spontaneous cognition. We report two studies examining individual differences in autobiographical memory, as measured by the Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART), in relation to eight trait-like measures of spontaneous thought and, in Study 2, also a measure of fantasy proneness. In Study 1, the ART correlated positively and systematically with six out of eight measures of spontaneous thought, even when controlling for age, gender, and trait positive and negative affect. The two exceptions concerned spontaneous thoughts specifically related to attentional deficits. Study 2 replicated these findings and extended them to a measure of fantasy proneness. The findings demonstrate that people who generally consider their autobiographical memories to be vivid, detailed, relevant, and coherent, report a higher tendency to engage in various forms of spontaneous cognition, including positive constructive daydreaming, spontaneous mind wandering, involuntary mental time travel, and vivid and immersive fantasy. We discuss these findings in terms of the role autobiographical memory plays in spontaneous thoughts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lucía Cárdenas-Egúsquiza
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Dorthe Berntsen
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Pociunaite J, Zimprich D. Characteristics of positive and negative autobiographical memories central to identity: emotionality, vividness, rehearsal, rumination, and reflection. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1225068. [PMID: 37780161 PMCID: PMC10534006 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Some events are remembered as more central to a person's identity than others. However, it is not entirely clear what characterizes these autobiographical memories central to one's identity. In this study, we examined the effects of various characteristics on centrality to identity of positive and negative memories. Characteristics such as emotionality, vividness, and how frequently a memory is retrieved and shared with others as well as ruminative and reflective self-foci were studied. Methods The sample included 356 participants (18-92 years of age). First, participants responded to demographic questions and individual difference questionnaires. Next, they recalled memories in response to 12 emotional cue words. The cue words were balanced for emotional valence (i.e., six positive and six negative) and presented in a random order. After retrieving all memories, participants rated them regarding centrality, using the short seven-item Centrality of Event Scale and other memory characteristics, on a seven-point Likert scale. Multivariate multilevel regression was used for data analyzes, to consider multiple characteristics at the same time and account for data dependency within individual. Results The results showed that emotionality, vividness, and frequency of memory retrieval contributed to higher centrality of memories, and employing a reflective self-focus resulted in rating memories as more central. In specific cases, these characteristics were associated differently with centrality of positive and negative memories. Discussion Central memories can be perceived as markers in a person's life story. The findings of this study suggest that these marker events are also highly available in a person's memory system, by being actively emotional, visually rich, and frequently retrieved. Moreover, not only memory characteristics but also individual's features are important to fully understand the autobiographical memory centrality.
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Wardell V, Jameson T, Bontkes OJR, Le ML, Duan TY, St Jacques PL, Madan CR, Palombo DJ. Fade In, Fade Out: Do Shifts in Visual Perspective Predict the Consistency of Real-World Memories? Psychol Sci 2023; 34:932-946. [PMID: 37439721 DOI: 10.1177/09567976231180588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Memories of our personal past are not exact accounts of what occurred. Instead, memory reconstructs the past in adaptive-though not always faithful-ways. Using a naturalistic design, we asked how the visual perspective adopted in the mind's eye when recalling the past-namely, an "own eyes" versus "observer" perspective-relates to the stability of autobiographical memories. We hypothesized that changes in visual perspective over time would predict poorer consistency of memories. Young adults (N = 178) rated the phenomenology of and freely recalled self-selected memories of everyday events at two time points (10 weeks apart). Multilevel linear modeling revealed, as expected, that greater shifts in visual perspective over time predicted lower memory consistency, particularly for emotional details. Our results offer insight into the factors that predict the fidelity of memories for everyday events. Moreover, our results may elucidate new metrics that are useful in interpreting eyewitness testimony or experiences relayed in clinical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Taylyn Jameson
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
| | | | - M Lindy Le
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
| | - Tz-Yu Duan
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
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10
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Fan CL, Sokolowski HM, Rosenbaum RS, Levine B. What about "space" is important for episodic memory? WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2023; 14:e1645. [PMID: 36772875 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Early cognitive neuroscientific research revealed that the hippocampus is crucial for spatial navigation in rodents, and for autobiographical episodic memory in humans. Researchers quickly linked these streams to propose that the human hippocampus supports memory through its role in representing space, and research on the link between spatial cognition and episodic memory in humans has proliferated over the past several decades. Different researchers apply the term "spatial" in a variety of contexts, however, and it remains unclear what aspect of space may be critical to memory. Similarly, "episodic" has been defined and tested in different ways. Naturalistic assessment of spatial memory and episodic memory (i.e., episodic autobiographical memory) is required to unify the scale and biological relevance in comparisons of spatial and mnemonic processing. Limitations regarding the translation of rodent to human research, human ontogeny, and inter-individual variability require greater consideration in the interpretation of this literature. In this review, we outline the aspects of space that are (and are not) commonly linked to episodic memory, and then we discuss these dimensions through the lens of individual differences in naturalistic autobiographical memory. Future studies should carefully consider which aspect(s) of space are being linked to memory within the context of naturalistic human cognition. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina L Fan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - R Shayna Rosenbaum
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian Levine
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Gehrt TB, Nielsen NP, Berntsen D. Individual differences in autobiographical memory: a Danish version of the Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART). NORDIC PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/19012276.2022.2162568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tine B. Gehrt
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Niels Peter Nielsen
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Dorthe Berntsen
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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12
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Moulin CJA, Carreras F, Barzykowski K. The phenomenology of autobiographical retrieval. WIRES COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022; 14:e1638. [DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris J. A. Moulin
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition (LPNC CNRS 5105) Université Grenoble Alpes Grenoble France
- Institut Universitaire de France Paris France
| | - Fabien Carreras
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition (LPNC CNRS 5105) Université Grenoble Alpes Grenoble France
| | - Krystian Barzykowski
- Applied Memory Research Laboratory Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University Kraków Poland
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Yeung RC, Fernandes MA. Machine learning to detect invalid text responses: Validation and comparison to existing detection methods. Behav Res Methods 2022; 54:3055-3070. [PMID: 35175566 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-01801-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A crucial step in analysing text data is the detection and removal of invalid texts (e.g., texts with meaningless or irrelevant content). To date, research topics that rely heavily on analysis of text data, such as autobiographical memory, have lacked methods of detecting invalid texts that are both effective and practical. Although researchers have suggested many data quality indicators that might identify invalid responses (e.g., response time, character/word count), few of these methods have been empirically validated with text responses. In the current study, we propose and implement a supervised machine learning approach that can mimic the accuracy of human coding, but without the need to hand-code entire text datasets. Our approach (a) trains, validates, and tests on a subset of texts manually labelled as valid or invalid, (b) calculates performance metrics to help select the best model, and (c) predicts whether unlabelled texts are valid or invalid based on the text alone. Model validation and evaluation using autobiographical memory texts indicated that machine learning accurately detected invalid texts with performance near human coding, significantly outperforming existing data quality indicators. Our openly available code and instructions enable new methods of improving data quality for researchers using text as data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Yeung
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology (PAS) Building, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Myra A Fernandes
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology (PAS) Building, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
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Deffler SA, Itagaki M, Valdez M, Umanath S. Memory of where predicts confidence in when: the role of spatial information in dating autobiographical events. Memory 2022; 30:955-970. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2022.2068608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan Itagaki
- Department of Psychology, Scripps College, Claremont, CA, USA
| | - Madeline Valdez
- Department of Psychological Science, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, USA
| | - Sharda Umanath
- Department of Psychological Science, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, USA
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15
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Pociunaite (Pociūnaitė) J, Zimprich D, Wolf T. Centrality of Positive and Negative Autobiographical Memories Across Adult Lifespan. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Zimprich
- Department of Developmental Psychology Ulm University, Albert‐Einstein‐Allee 47 Ulm Germany
| | - Tabea Wolf
- Department of Developmental Psychology Ulm University, Albert‐Einstein‐Allee 47 Ulm Germany
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16
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Kluger FE, Oladimeji DM, Tan Y, Brown NR, Caplan JB. Mnemonic scaffolds vary in effectiveness for serial recall. Memory 2022; 30:869-894. [PMID: 35349387 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2022.2052322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Memory champions remember vast amounts of information in order and at first encounter by associating each study item to an anchor within a scaffold - a pre-learned, structured memory. The scaffold provides direct-access retrieval cues. Dominated by the familiar-route scaffold (Method of Loci), researchers have little insight into what characteristics of scaffolds make them effective, nor whether individual differences might play a role. We compared participant-generated mnemonic scaffolds: (a) familiar routes (Loci), (b) autobiographical stories (Story), (c) parts of the human body (Body), and (d) routine activities (Routine Activity). Loci, Body, and Story Scaffolds benefited serial recall over Control (no scaffold). The Body and Loci Scaffold were equally superior to the other scaffolds. Measures of visual imagery aptitude and vividness and body responsiveness did not predict accuracy. A second experiment tested whether embodiment could be responsible for the high level of effectiveness of the Body Scaffold; this was not supported. In short, mnemonic scaffolds are not equally effective and embodied cognition may not directly contribute to memory success. The Body Scaffold may be a strong alternative to the Method of Loci and may enhance learning for most learners, including those who do not find the Method of Loci useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicitas E Kluger
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Debby M Oladimeji
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Yuwei Tan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Norman R Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jeremy B Caplan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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Individual Differences in Autobiographical Memory: The Autobiographical Recollection Test Predicts Ratings of Specific Memories Across Cueing Conditions. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN MEMORY AND COGNITION 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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18
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Sutin AR, Luchetti M, Aschwanden D, Stephan Y, Terracciano A. Sense of purpose in life, cognitive function, and the phenomenology of autobiographical memory. Memory 2021; 29:1126-1135. [PMID: 34460357 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2021.1966472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
There are individual differences in the phenomenological re-experiencing of autobiographical memories. We examine whether sense of purpose in life and cognitive function are associated with the phenomenology of a recent memory related to the coronavirus pandemic. Participants reported on their sense purpose and completed tasks that measured processing speed and visuospatial ability before the pandemic in January-February 2020 and subsequently retrieved and rated a memory related to the pandemic in July 2020 (N=796; Mage=58.05, SD=14.14, range 19-85). Participants with a greater sense of purpose reported memories that were more phenomenologically rich (e.g., more vivid, coherent, accessible), whereas cognitive function was primarily related to greater perceived accessibility of the memory but not to most other aspects of phenomenology. The pattern of associations was similar when accounting for depressive symptoms, and none of the associations was moderated by age. The present research suggests that individuals with a higher sense of purpose in life have autobiographical memories with richer phenomenology. To the extent that memories function to sustain well-being, social connections, and cognitive health, rich phenomenology may be one pathway through which purpose leads to these better outcomes.
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