The Purpose of the Article: A Coherent Theoretical Model
The purpose of the article was to provide a coherent theoretical model of autobiographical memory that serves as a framework that brings together all the diverse concepts and research about autobiographical memory. The area of autobiographical memory has not been succinctly addressed in the past. Scientists have been using different approaches and insights from subareas of psychology to account for the topic, but unfortunately, the different nature of their views have restricted the development of coherent discussions.
Understanding Autobiographical Memory: Insights from Research
However, the research highlighted in the article has increased my knowledge on how the different parts of the brain work together to establish autobiographical cues in an individual. First, I learned that autobiographical memory could only be retrieved through a mental modulation of the current goals of a working self and the autobiographical memory base in the brain. There are processes in the brain that are specifically initiated to shape cues that will later activate autobiographical knowledge which will ultimately lead to the retrieval of specific memories. Secondly, I learned that, although knowledge base is subject to current goals of the working self, the association can be reciprocated such that knowledge base will determine the actual goals of a working self. Therefore, the relationship implies that a proper understanding of the mechanism involved in retrieval of autobiographical memory can be used to understand the cognition aspect of an individual further.
Autobiographical Memories: Transitory Dynamic Mental Constructions
In their research, the authors wanted to prove that autobiographical memories are transitory dynamic mental constructions generated from an underlying knowledge base. They argued that mental constructions, which autobiographical memory is part of, are less sensitive to cues and only serve as activators of the autobiographical knowledge base structures. Therefore, autobiographical memories do not constitute part of human consciousness, and instead, they are just elements of the retrieval process. Also, the researchers proposed that memories initiated in consciousness and incorporated into the action sequences are exclusively controlled by executive processes and are, therefore, excluded from being part of consciousness. To ascertain their claim, the authors analyzed the concept of autobiographical memory by hierarchically discussing the structures with the aim of creating a model that best accounts for the cognitive process under discussion. Throughout their study, the researchers have been making detailed discussions that are backed up with reliable data from other scholars, and at the end, the model of autobiographical memory developed therein is brought out as a proposal of a Self-Memory System (SMS).
The Core Concepts of Autobiographical Memories
To make the research wholly and thorough, the scientist first sought to identify the core concepts involved in the construction of autobiographical memories. The first method they used is to discuss the autobiographical knowledge base to note the main areas affected. Three areas were thus identified to be part of the knowledge base; lifetime periods, general events, and event-specific knowledge (ESK). They collected protocols in one of their laboratories to illustrate the hierarchical scheme of a set of autobiographical knowledge. After establishing the source of autobiographical knowledge, the scientists then proceeded to evaluate the relationship that exists between the active self and autobiographical memory. A critical study analysis done between the self and autobiographical memory provided the framework from which the scientists based their conclusion on, the self-memory system.
The Relationship between Working Self and Autobiographical Memories
The study found out that the working self, the current goals, and missions, are directly related to the individual's autobiographical memories. A person develops current goals based on the autobiographical knowledge which mostly constrains the goals of a working self. In other words, the authors found out that autobiographical knowledge "grounds" the self. The activities done by the working self will either cause generative retrieval or direct retrieval of autobiographical memories. The generative retrieval occurs when the individual intentionally jolts his autobiographical memory while the direct retrieval process is spontaneous and is instigated by an ongoing activity done by a person.
The Role of Self-Memory System (SMS) in Autobiographical Memory
The researchers concluded that the SMS modulates the construction of autobiographical memories and their influence on the conventional processing of the working self. They based their interpretation on the fact that initiation of memory in consciousness requires that other forms of cognition be halted before retrieving the memory. This is the case for both generative and direct retrieval of memory. After finding out that the working self "grounds" autobiographical knowledge base, the scientists concluded that the goal structure of the working self is definitive in the remembering experience. In other words, the autobiographical memories of a self depend on the individual's current working goals. However, the fact that autobiographical history impacts the ability of the working self made the researchers conclude that the goal structure of the working self is also determined by the autobiographical knowledge base. Additionally, the authors stated that autobiographical remembering is controlled by numerous parts of the brain. The interpretation is based on the finding that autobiographical memory is complex and is initiated through an alternation of multiple activities in the mind.
Conclusion: A Logical and Clear Synthesis
In conclusion, the authors provided a logical and clear synthesis of the study. Their findings have been professionally interpreted to offer a detailed conclusion and proposal of how the autobiographical memory model should be framed so that it may address all the activities involved in the process.
References
Ackerman, J., Nocera, C., " Bargh, J. (2010). Incidental haptic sensations influence social judgments and decisions. Science, 328(5986), 1712-1715. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1189993
Conway, M., " Pleydell-Pearce, C. (2000). The construction of autobiographical memories in the self-memory system. Psychological Review, 107(2), 261-288. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0033-295x.107.2.261
