The Ability to Accessing Particular Autobiographical Memory - Literature review Example

Autobiographical memory Introduction I will investigate and write a literature review on autobiographical memory which is, in simplest terms, the memory for issues and events related to oneself and includes the memories for particular experiences and for personal facts of the life of someone. According to (Thompson, 1998: 263)., if the remembered issues or event appears to have played an important part in the rememberer`s life, then it becomes an instance of autobiographical memory. Research question As such, it`s within my desire to investigate a definite research question: that is to ascertain whether there is any link between the ability of accessing particular autobiographical memory and the presence of posttraumatic stress. Hypothesis The hypothesis of the study shall be as follows: i. The ease of access and construction of particular memories (DV) depends on the individual`s goal in autobiographical memory (IV). ii. The ability of accessing particular autobiographical memory (DV) depends on the presence of posttraumatic stress (IV). According to (Rubin, 1986: 73)., memory is simply a varied set of cognitive capabilities in which humans and maybe other animals preserve information and reconstruct previous experiences, typically for present purposes. Rubin claims that autobiographical memory is actually a complex determined skill, comprising of neurological, cognitive, social, and linguistic components. Over the previous decade the research pertaining to autobiographical memory has shade light on human memory in which individual goals play a key role in formation, access and the construction of particular memories. Posttraumatic stress memories are reconceived as the memory system which retains highly comprehensive sensory perceptual knowledge of the recent experience over the retention intervals is measured in minutes or hours. Posttraumatic stress is yet to be incorporated to autobiographical memory knowledge base. When recalled it may be accessed independently of the content and is collectively experienced as self or the “I”. In the contrary, autobiographical memory retains knowledge over the retention intervals measured within a period of weeks, months, years, or decades and over the life span. Autobiographical memory represents the `me` or the experienced self, which is often accessed by its content, but when accessed, it does not necessarily lead to collective experience. However, collective experience occurs whenever autobiographical memories retain access to the associated episodic memories-posttraumatic stress. According to (Berntsen & Rubin, 2012: 182), one of the dominant processes implicated in the posttraumatic stress disorder is autobiographical memory. A major sign of this condition is the intrusive recollection of this trauma. Furthermore, such kinds of intrusions always take the form of a sensory-laden, extremely emotive flashbacks as well as reliving experiences (Ross, 1991: 63). Fascinatingly, despite the vivid remembering of this trauma in every of its detail, exposed persons experiencing such kinds of symptoms always find it relatively hard to access the exact details of the non-trauma associated aspects of their own autobiography. For instance, their autobiographical recall of the past episodes in reaction to cue words in the laboratory tasks appears to be relatively generic, instead of focusing on the individual events. This article recognizes two studies which investigate aspects of reduced autobiographical specificity among trauma survivors. The first research used aforementioned cue word methodology-AMT (Autobiographical Memory Test) and inspects, for the first time, how performance on this autobiographical memory task relates to the individual symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. The aim was to test certain theoretical hypotheses concerning the genesis of over-generality impact in the disorder. A second study inspects whether this hardship in accessing exact episodic autobiographical material among those with considerable post-traumatic stress manifests in memory for the semantic information concerning one’s autobiographical past as measured by Autobiographical Memory Interview of a group of cancer survivors experiencing posttraumatic stress. As such, my research will attempt to shade more light on this previous research. The reality that greater levels of the post-traumatic stress signs are linked to reduced autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) might be viewed as somehow paradoxical. If reduced autobiographical memory specificity is effective as a means of affect regulation then an individual might have anticipated reduced levels of the symptomatology from those with reduced autobiographical memory specificity. As for the participants, there ought to be compromised access to the specific memories of the distressing events. Nonetheless, it is important to recall that reduced autobiographical memory specificity is a function of an effortful retrieval of the autobiographical memories so as to word cues in experimental task - AMT. Present-day models of autobiographical memory propose that such like effortful memory retrieval practices are accompanied by a direct and automatic route to the specific memories in reaction to pertinent cues. It may thus be the case in which reduced AMS indexes is a resistance to retrieving specific memories through effortful hierarchical search. If it is true that lessening distress to traumatic memories associated with the trauma is what drives a reduced AMS, and that individuals most troubled by the distressing trauma memories may exhibit a greater reductions in AMS, while AMS has a minimal impact on the automatic, intrusive memories of trauma, then it`s easy to predict that among individuals with symptoms of the posttraumatic stress, high level automatic and intrusive recollection of the memories of trauma will occur. Methodology Overview Design: control and depressed participants were compared concerning temporal progression of the memory retrievals within a think-aloud cued AMT (autobiographical memory task). Method: control participants (N = 15) and depressed out-patients (N = 15) were provided with cue words then asked to verbalize every thoughts while recalling details of autobiographical event in a span of 2 minutes after which streams-of-consciousness were evaluated regarding the number of various events. The event descriptions were then judged as extended, categoric, or specific. Results: As opposed to control participants, the depressed participants generated significantly higher aggregate numbers of categoric memories. The depressed participants varied from control participants concerning consecutive categoric memories` number following an earlier categoric memory though not following an earlier specific memory. A sample of the refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder completed the AMT (autobiographical memory test) where they had to produce specific episodic autobiographical memories in reaction to the emotion-related cue words. The outcomes revealed that reduced specificity of the memories on AMT was linked to an amplified frequency of the trauma-related flashbacks though with reduced use of an effortful avoidance to handle trauma-related intrusions in daily life. The second study scrutinized retrieval of the semantic autobiographical information from past lifetime periods among groups of cancer survivors diagnosed with posttraumatic stress. These cancer survivors managed to produce fewer specific semantic details concerning the personal past as opposed to the controls. Memory impairment was observed to be high among those survivors with more symptoms. Is detailed discussion, based on the two studies, is entered into with regard to compromised access to particular autobiographical factors in distress trauma survivors; a reflection of the effect regulation process. Administration of AMT was done with the assistance of an interpreter who had prior instructions on the nature and purpose of this exercise with the help of cue cards authored in either Bosnian. Five positive and five negative cue words, aligned for frequency and emotionality in English were first translated to Bosnian language and then back to English. The selected words were those that back translated to original English unambiguously. Those sampled to take part in this research were given instructions; ten words could be read to them and that the researcher was interested in particular memories. They were made aware that memories could be interesting or trivial, distant or recent. The need for being specific was spelled out and also an example was given. The study did not begin until the participants had specific memory following practice item (minimum of two). 30 seconds was time allowed to each participant to retrieve the specific memory. In case the first memory was not specific as required, a standard prompt was issued: “are you able to remember a specific occurrence?” coded was done to the first memories to indicate if they are specific or not. A set of two raters helped in completing this study for all the participants. An intra-class correlation range was established as 0.83 to 0.92 as a score of specific memories. Ethical issues In all circumstances, researchers must consider ethical implications and psychological effects of participants in their research. An essential standard is that the researcher should be considered from the viewpoint of all participants: i. Consent  Whenever possible, the researcher should inform every participant of the objectives of the research and seek their acceptance to participate. The researcher should, normally, explain every other aspect of the study or intervention the participants enquire. Failure to create a full disclosure before obtaining informed consent needs additional safeguards to defend the dignity and welfare of the participants ii. Deception  Withholding of information or even misleading the participants is unacceptable more so when the participants are classically likely to object. Where there is any doubt, appropriate consultation should precede the research. Consultation is best done with individuals who have similar social and cultural background like the participants in the study; however the advice of the ethics committees or disinterested and experienced colleagues may be enough. iii. Confidentiality  Subject to the legislation`s requirements, including Data Protection Act, the information obtained concerning a participant during a research is confidential not unless agreed in advance. Researchers who are normally put under pressure to unveil confidential information must draw this point to capture the attention of people exerting such pressure. The participants in a psychological research have the right to believe that any information they give will be treated confidentially even if published as it will not be classifiable as theirs. In a case that the confidentiality and/or anonymity is not guaranteed, the participant ought to be warned of this fact in advance before agreeing to participate.  iv. Protection of participants  Researchers have a prime responsibility of protecting the participants from any physical and mental harm in the course of the investigation. Typically, the risk of harm should not be greater than in the ordinary life, that is, participants must not be exposed to the risks greater than or extra to those they encountered in their usual lifestyles. When the risk of harm is more than in the ordinary lifestyle, the provisions of 3.8 ought to apply. Participants should be asked any factors in the process that may create a risk, like a pre-existing medical condition. They then must be advised on any special action they ought to take to avoid risk.  Reference List THOMPSON, C. P. (1998). Autobiographical memory: theoretical and applied perspectives. Mahwah, N.J., L. Erlbaum. RUBIN, D. C. (1986). Autobiographical memory. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire], Cambridge University Press. BERNTSEN, D., & RUBIN, D. C. (2012). Understanding autobiographical memory: theories and approaches. New York, Cambridge University Press. ROSS, B. M. (1991). Remembering the personal past descriptions of autobiographical memory. New York, Oxford University Press. Read More