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The effects of social memories in autobiographical elaboration on incidental memory
Article first published online: 17 APR 2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5884.2012.00519.x
© Japanese Psychological Association 2012.
Additional Information
How to Cite
TOYOTA, H. (2012), The effects of social memories in autobiographical elaboration on incidental memory. Japanese Psychological Research, 54: 412–417. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-5884.2012.00519.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 15 OCT 2012
- Article first published online: 17 APR 2012
- (Received August 8, 2011; accepted January 21, 2012)
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- autobiographical elaboration;
- incidental memory;
- episode
Abstract
The present study compared the effects of social memories with those of nonsocial memories on incidental memory. The participants were presented target words on two occasions, and each time they were asked to think of a past episode associated with them in the orienting task, followed by an unexpected free-recall test. The results showed that the targets that were associated with social memories, episodes including any person, were recalled more often than those with nonsocial memories. Also, the spacing effect was observed only for the recall of target words associated with social memories. These results were interpreted as showing that the inclusion of any particular person in an episode makes an episode itself more distinctive as an effective cue in autobiographical elaboration.