Abstracts

Culture and Coherence: The acquisition of cultural life scripts and the development of coherence in life stories

The Development of Cultural Life Scripts from Childhood to Adolescence

Motivation for weight loss affects recall from autobiographical memory in dieters

Abstract SARMAC 2008

Berntsen, D. (2007). Involuntary conscious memories after traumatic experiences and in everyday life: No trauma-specific mechanisms are needed. Talk presented at SARMAC VII (Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition). Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. July 28

According to a widespread clinical view, involuntary autobiographical memories are a phenomenon that largely occur as an aftermath to traumatic/stressful experiences. Unlike voluntary memories, they are symptoms of distress. Further, they are considered as an effect of unique and trauma-specific encoding mechanisms that render the traumatic memory hard to access through voluntary, goal –directed recall and at the same time persistent as an involuntary memory. This view is especially dominant in modern clinical theories of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. This presentation challenges this view by showing that involuntary memories are as frequent in everyday life and show the same pattern as voluntary (strategically recalled) memories with regard to emotional content, distribution across the life span and memory enhancement through overt rehearsal. Involuntary memories in general differ from voluntary memories by involving more emotional reaction and mood impact at the time of recall. A theoretical alternative to clinical theories of involuntary memories after traumas is presented based on these findings and general mechanism of autobiographical memory.

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Berntsen, D. (2007). Recurrent involuntary memories of traumatic and non-traumatic events: What is “repeated” and why? Talk presented at SARMAC VII (Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition). Bates College, Lewiston,   Maine. July 26

Recurrent involuntary recollections of traumatic events are common among people suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, according to the diagnosis of this disease. The DSM-IV definition of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) lists a number of reexperiencing symptoms, including “recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections” of the traumatic event (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). This presentation addresses the frequency and content of such memories in response to traumatic events as well as in everyday life. The findings show that frequency of recurrent memories of a traumatic event increases systematically with the severity of this event. However, recurrent involuntary memories are also found in a general population in which they typically refer to positive events. A theoretical model solving this apparent contradiction is proposed.

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