Skip to main content
Duke University Libraries
View Item 
  •   DukeSpace
  • Duke Scholarly Works
  • Scholarly Articles
  • View Item
  •   DukeSpace
  • Duke Scholarly Works
  • Scholarly Articles
  • View Item
    • Login
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    The frequency of voluntary and involuntary autobiographical memories across the life span.

    Thumbnail
    View / Download
    144.8 Kb
    Date
    2009-07
    Authors
    Berntsen, D
    Rubin, David C
    Repository Usage Stats
    261
    views
    141
    downloads
    Abstract
    In the present study, ratings of the memory of an important event from the previous week on the frequency of voluntary and involuntary retrieval, belief in its accuracy, visual imagery, auditory imagery, setting, emotional intensity, valence, narrative coherence, and centrality to the life story were obtained from 988 adults whose ages ranged from 15 to over 90. Another 992 adults provided the same ratings for a memory from their confirmation day, when they were at about age 14. The frequencies of involuntary and voluntary retrieval were similar. Both frequencies were predicted by emotional intensity and centrality to the life story. The results from the present study-which is the first to measure the frequency of voluntary and involuntary retrieval for the same events-are counter to both cognitive and clinical theories, which consistently claim that involuntary memories are infrequent as compared with voluntary memories. Age and gender differences are noted.
    Type
    Journal article
    Subject
    Adolescent
    Adult
    Aged
    Aged, 80 and over
    Aging
    Association Learning
    Attention
    Auditory Perception
    Culture
    Emotions
    Female
    Humans
    Imagination
    Judgment
    Life Change Events
    Male
    Mental Recall
    Middle Aged
    Young Adult
    Permalink
    https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10079
    Published Version (Please cite this version)
    10.3758/37.5.679
    Publication Info
    Berntsen, D; & Rubin, David C (2009). The frequency of voluntary and involuntary autobiographical memories across the life span. Mem Cognit, 37(5). pp. 679-688. 10.3758/37.5.679. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10079.
    This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
    Collections
    • Scholarly Articles
    More Info
    Show full item record

    Scholars@Duke

    Rubin

    David C. Rubin

    Juanita M. Kreps Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
      For .pdfs of all publications click here  My main research interest has been in long-term memory, especially for complex (or "real-world") stimuli. This work includes the study of autobiographical memory
    Open Access

    Articles written by Duke faculty are made available through the campus open access policy. For more information see: Duke Open Access Policy

    Rights for Collection: Scholarly Articles

     

     

    Search Scope

    Browse

    All of DukeSpaceCommunities & CollectionsAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit DateThis CollectionAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit Date

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics