Chapter 11 Textbook Vocabulary - Autobiographical Memory

what is autobiographical memory?

memory across the lifespan for both specific events and self-related information

what is the reminiscence bump?

a tendency in participants over 40 to show a high rate of recollecting personal experiences from their late teens and early twenties

what is a life narrative?

a coherent and integrated account of one’s life that is claimed to form the basis of autobiographical memory retrieval. A life narrative provides an organized set of schemes with which key episodic event can be integrated, both increasing the chances of consolidation, and making memory retrieval efficient

what is the autobiographical knowledge base?

facts about ourselves and our past that form the basis for autobiographical memory

what is working self?

a concept proposed by Conway to account for the way in which autobiographical knowledge is accumulated and used

what is autonoetic consciousness?

a term proposed by Tulving for self-awareness, allowing the rememberer to reflect on the contents of the episodic memory

what is a flashbulb memory?

term applied to the detailed, vivid and apparently highly accurate memory of a dramatic experience

what is the fading affect bias?

the consistent tendency for negative memories, over time, to lose affective intensity at a higher rate than positive memories

what is HSAM?

an acronym for highly superior autobiographical memory cases in which people exhibit extraordinary memory for everyday autobiographical events over many years

what is SDAM?

an acronym for severely deficient autobiographical memory, referring to a neuropsychological condition in which otherwise high functioning individuals nevertheless are largely unable to remember autobiographical experiences or re-experience them

what is a fugue state?

a form of psychogenic amnesia in which a person abruptly loses access to all autobiographical memories from their life, and their personal identity, often resulting in a period of wandering without knowledge of how they got to a location or why. This condition often resolves quickly (within days or weeks)

what is fugue-to-FRA?

a distinct form of psychogenic amnesia which starts with fugue, but is followed by recovery or relearning of identity, but with persistent and long-lasting deficits in autobiographical memories, especially older ones

what is focal retrograde amnesia (FRA)?

a distinct form of psychogenic amnesia without fugue or significant loss of identity, but with an abrupt loss of autobiographical memories that can be extensive and persisting

what are gaps in memory?

a distinct form of psychogenic amnesia without fugue or significant loss of personal identity, but with an abrupt loss of discrete periods of time, ranging form hours to months. Multiple gaps may be present

what is reverse temporal gradient?

the tendency, in focal retrograde amnesia, for the oldest autobiographical memories to be forgotten more than recent ones, the opposite to what is shown in organic amnesia

what is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

anxiety disorder whereby a dramatic and stressful event such as rape results in persistent anxiety, often accompanied by vivid flashback memories of the event

what is the posterior midline cortex and why does it matter?

an area adjacent to and including the posterior cingulate cortex, often including the precuneus and retrosplenial cortex, which appears to be critical for autobiographical memory retrieval, especially for the reinstatement of vivid visuo-spatial details