The unpredictable past: Spontaneous autobiographical memories outnumber autobiographical memories retrieved strategically
Open accessAbstract
Involuntary autobiographical memories are spontaneously arising memories of personal events, whereas voluntary memories are retrieved strategically. Voluntary remembering has been studied in numerous experiments while involuntary remembering has been largely ignored. It is generally assumed that voluntary recall is the standard way of remembering, whereas involuntary recall is the exception. However, little is known about the actual frequency of these two types of remembering in daily life. Here, 48 Danish undergraduates recorded their involuntary versus voluntary autobiographical memories during a day using a mechanical counter. Involuntary memories were reported three times as frequently as voluntary memories. Compared to voluntary memories, they were associated less with problem solving and social sharing and more with day dreaming, periods of boredom, no reasons for remembering and predominantly came to mind during unfocused attention. The findings suggest that involuntary recall is a typical way of accessing the personal past.
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Such occasions are more frequent than one might intuitively think and can occur up to several times a day.
“Such occasions are more frequent than one might intuitively think and can occur up to several times a day (Berntsen, 2021; see also Rasmussen & Berntsen, 2011).”
From Understanding Autobiographical Memory in the Digital Age: The AMEDIA-Model (2024) · cites this paper as Rasmussen & Berntsen, 2011
Intentionally remembering autobiographical events can be driven by a wide range of different goals and motivations, such as regulating one's emotions (self function), wanting to solve a certain problem (directive function), or sharing information with others (social function).
“As research has shown (Rasmussen & Berntsen, 2011; see also Bluck et al., 2005), intentionally remembering autobiographical events can be driven by a wide range of different goals and motivations, such as, regulating one's emotions (self function), wanting to solve a certain problem (directive function), or sharing information with others (social function).”
From Understanding Autobiographical Memory in the Digital Age: The AMEDIA-Model (2024) · cites this paper as Rasmussen & Berntsen, 2011
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Maillet, D., & Schacter, D. L. (2016) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.11.017 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
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Understanding Autobiographical Memory in the Digital Age: The AMEDIA-Model
Hutmacher, F., Appel, M., & Schwan, S. (2024) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1080/1047840x.2024.2384125 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
- Authors
- Rasmussen, A. S., & Berntsen, D.
- Affiliations
- Aarhus University (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Rasmussen, Anne S.
- Venue
- Consciousness and Cognition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-12
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1842-1846
- ISSN
- 1053-8100 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2084421108
- Cited by
- 112
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 2.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- pure.au.dk
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Consciousness and Cognition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Aarhus Universitet
- National Research Foundation
- Danmarks Grundforskningsfond
- Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- involuntary autobiographical memories, voluntary recall, memory retrieval strategies, daydreaming, boredom, problem solving, social sharing, attentional focus
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Mental Recall, Young Adult, Memory, Episodic
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