A TALE of Three Functions: The Self–Reported Uses of Autobiographical Memory
Open accessAbstract
Theories hold that autobiographical memory serves several broad functions (directive, self, and social). In the current study, items were derived from the theoretical literature to create the Thinking About Life Experiences (TALE) questionnaire to empirically assess these three functions. Participants (N = 167) completed the TALE. To examine convergent validity, they also rated their overall tendency to think about and to talk about the past and completed the Reminiscence Functions Scale (Webster, 1997). The results lend support to the existence of these theoretical functions, but also offer room for refinements in future thinking about both the breadth and specificity of the functions that autobiographical memory serves.
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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 Bluck et al., 2005
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The Psychology of Life Stories
McAdams, D. P. (2001) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.5.2.100 · Cited by 2,808 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Together, these point clearly at a self function of AM that allows individuals to have and maintain a biographical identity (e.g., McAdams, 2001) and to be able to maintain a coherent self–concept across an entire lifespan (Cohen, 1998), even in the face of developmental change and life events.”
BackgroundGetting a life: The emergence of the life story in adolescence.
Habermas, T., & Bluck, S. (2000) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.126.5.748 · Cited by 1,743 · cited 8× · see citing works
“In addition, four items that reflect autobiographical reasoning (Habermas & Bluck, 2000) about the self loaded on the Directive factor.”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationPROMAX: A QUICK METHOD FOR ROTATION TO OBLIQUE SIMPLE STRUCTURE
Hendrickson, A. E., & White, P. O. (1964) · British Journal of Statistical Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8317.1964.tb00244.x · Cited by 1,009 · see citing works
What is autobiographical memory?
Brewer, W. F. (1986) · Autobiographical Memory · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511558313.006 · Cited by 660 · see citing works
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The effects of reminiscence on psychological well-being in older adults: A meta-analysis
Bohlmeijer, E., Roemer, M., Cuijpers, P., & Smit, F. (2007) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607860600963547 · Cited by 390 · see citing works
Savoring the past: Positive memories evoke value representations in the striatum
Speer, M. E., Bhanji, J. P., & Delgado, M. R. (2014) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2014.09.028 · Cited by 194 · see citing works
The effect of shame and shame memories on paranoid ideation and social anxiety
Matos, M., Pinto‐Gouveia, J., & Gilbert, P. (2013) · Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy · doi:10.1002/cpp.1766 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
Nostalgia and the emotional tone and content of song lyrics
Batcho, K. I. (2007) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.2307/20445410 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Rasmussen, A. S., & Berntsen, D. (2013) · Memory & Cognition · doi:10.3758/s13421-012-0260-y · Cited by 162 · see citing works
Frequency, characteristics, and perceived functions of emotional future thinking in daily life
Barsics, C., Van der Linden, M., & D'Argembeau, A. (2016) · Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology · doi:10.1080/17470218.2015.1051560 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Philippe, F. L., Koestner, R., Beaulieu-Pelletier, G., & Lecours, S. (2011) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00710.x · Cited by 86 · see citing works
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Brown, A. D., Dorfman, M. L., Marmar, C. R., & Bryant, R. A. (2012) · Consciousness and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.concog.2011.09.023 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Life story chapters and narrative self-continuity in patients with schizophrenia
Holm, T., Thomsen, D. K., & Bliksted, V. (2016) · Consciousness and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.concog.2016.08.009 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Memory Manipulations in Extended Reality
Bonnail, E., Tseng, W.-J., Mcgill, M., Lecolinet, E., Huron, S., & Gugenheimer, J. (2023) · Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3544548.3580988 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
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
- Bluck, S., Alea, N., Habermas, T., & Rubin, D. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Florida (US)
- Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
- Duke University (US)
- Venue
- Social Cognition
- Publisher
- Guilford Publications
- Published
- 2005-02
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 91-117
- ISSN
- 0278-016X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2122450449
- Cited by
- 695
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 44 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 51 · 2020: 37 · 2019: 74 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 31
- FWCI
- 12.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- Social Cognition (publishedVersion)
- DukeSpace (Duke University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Autobiographical and Biographical Writing
- Keywords
- autobiographical memory, directive function, social function, convergent validity, reminiscence
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