Autobiographical Memory

The memory for information related to the self. This is mostly considered part of the episodic memory but can be distinguished from mere episodic memories by several features. First, autobiographical memories are more complex than other types of memories. According to Martin Conway, autobiographical memories are organized in different levels of specificity, from lifetime periods (e.g., when I lived in Berlin) to general events (e.g., the times I went to the theater) to event-specific knowledge that contains sensory or affective information. Recently, the life story was added to this model as a more comprehensive level.

[Page 36]Autobiographical memory is further set apart from other memory forms by unique features such as the “reminiscence bump” (an accumulation of memories recalled from the age of transition to adulthood), childhood amnesia (the inability to recall events before the age of three), and flashbulb memories (memories of high affective intensity that can be recalled seemingly to the last detail). For more information, see Bluck (2003) and Conway (1990).