15 Facts About Autobiographical memory

Autobiographical memory is a memory system consisting of episodes recollected from an individual's life, based on a combination of episodic and semantic memory.

Conway and Pleydell-Pearce proposed that autobiographical memory is constructed within a self-memory system, a conceptual model composed of an autobiographical knowledge base and the working self.

Autobiographical memory serves three broad functions: directive, social, and self-representative.

Directive function of autobiographical memory uses past experiences as a reference for solving current problems and a guide for our actions in the present and the future.

Social function of autobiographical memory develops and maintains social bonds by providing material for people to converse about.

The effects of mood on Autobiographical memory are explained in better detail under the Emotion section.

The many factors that contribute to determining Autobiographical memory perspective are not affected by whether the recall of the Autobiographical memory was voluntary or involuntary.

The effect of mood-congruent Autobiographical memory, wherein the mood of an individual can influence the mood of the memories they recall, is a key factor in the development of depressive symptoms for conditions such as dysphoria or major depressive disorder.

Specific Autobiographical memory recall can further be inhibited by significant psychological trauma occurring in comorbidity.

Piolino, Desgranges, Benali, and Eustache investigated age effects on autobiographical memory using an autobiographical questionnaire that distinguished between the recall of semantic and episodic memory.

Research on autobiographical memory has focused on voluntary memories, memories that are deliberately recalled; nevertheless, research has evidenced differential effects of age on involuntary and voluntary autobiographical memory.

False Autobiographical memory syndrome is a controversial condition in which people demonstrate conviction for vivid but false personal memories.

Professionals such as therapists, police and lawyers must be aware of the malleability of Autobiographical memory and be wary of techniques that might promote false Autobiographical memory generation.

Autobiographical memory memories are initially constructed in left prefrontal neural networks.

Autobiographical memory maintenance is predominantly observed as changing patterns of activity within posterior sensory regions; more specifically, occipitotemporal regions of the right hemisphere.