“Look at Me” – Eye Movements During Autobiographical Retrieval in Face-to-Face Interactions

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Quentin Lenoble ◽  
Mohamad El Haj
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Screen Design ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Laboratory Design ◽  
Blank Screen

Abstract. There has been a surge in social cognition and social neurosciences research comparing laboratory and real eye movements. Eye movements during the retrieval of autobiographical memories (i.e., personal memories) in laboratory situations are also receiving more attention. We compared eye movements during the retrieval of autobiographical memories using a strict laboratory design versus a design mimicking social interactions. In the first design, eye movements were recorded during autobiographical memory retrieval while participants were looking at a blank screen; in the second design, participants wore eye-tracking glasses and communicated autobiographical memories to the experimenter. Compared with the “screen” design, the “glasses” design yielded more fixations ( p < .05), shorter duration of fixations ( p < .001), more saccades ( p < .01), and longer duration of saccades ( p < .001). These findings demonstrate how eye movements during autobiographical memory retrieval differ between strict laboratory design and face-to-face interactions.

Specificity and detail in autobiographical memory retrieval: A multi-site (re)investigation.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David John Hallford ◽  
Tom Joseph Barry ◽  
Eline Belmans ◽  
Filip Raes ◽  
Sam Dax ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Memory Specificity ◽  
Specific Event ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Cue Words

This investigation examined conflicting suggestions regarding the association between problems retrieving specific autobiographical memories and the tendency to retrieve the details of these memories. We also examined whether these tendencies are differentially related to depression symptoms. U.S., Belgian, Hong Kong and Japanese participants retrieved memories related to cue words. Responses were coded for if they referred to a specific event (i.e., an event lasting less than 24 hours) and their details (What? Where? Who?). Across sites, and in meta-analyses, the retrieval of more specific memories was associated with retrieval of more details. Memories that were specific included more detail than non-specific memories. Across sites, retrieval of more specific memories and more detail was associated with less severe depression symptoms. Episodic specificity and detailedness are related but separable constructs. Future investigations of autobiographical memory specificity, and methods for alleviating problematic specificity, should consider measures of episodic detailedness.

scholarly journals Odors Associated With Autobiographical Memory Induce Visual Imagination of Emotional Scenes as Well as Orbitofrontal-Fusiform Activation

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Masaoka ◽  
Haruko Sugiyama ◽  
Masaki Yoshida ◽  
Akira Yoshikawa ◽  
Motoyasu Honma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Fusiform Gyrus ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Left Posterior

Specific odors can induce memories of the past, especially those associated with autobiographical and episodic memory. Odors associated with autobiographical memories have been found to elicit stronger activation in the orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, and parahippocampus compared with odors not linked to personal memories. Here, we examined whether continuous odor stimuli associated with autobiographical memories could activate the above olfactory areas in older adults and speculated regarding whether this odor stimulation could have a protective effect against age-related cognitive decline. Specifically, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the relationship between blood oxygen levels in olfactory regions and odor-induced subjective memory retrieval and emotions associated with autobiographical memory in older adults. In our group of healthy older adults, the tested odors induced autobiographical memories that were accompanied by increasing levels of retrieval and the feeling of being “brought back in time.” The strength of the subjective feelings, including vividness of the memory and degree of comfort, impacted activation of the left fusiform gyrus and left posterior orbitofrontal cortex. Further, our path model suggested that the strength of memory retrieval and of the emotions induced by odor-evoked autobiographical memories directly influenced neural changes in the left fusiform gyrus, and impacted left posterior orbitofrontal cortex activation through the left fusiform response.

Autobiographical memory and autobiographical narrative

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Smorti
Keyword(s):  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Autobiographical Narrative ◽  
Narrative Influence

In this contribution I discuss the link existing between autobiographical memory and autobiographical narrative and, in this context, the concept of coherence. Starting from the Bruner’s seminal concept of autobiographical self, I firstly analyze how autobiographical memories and autobiographical narrative influence each other and, somehow, mirror reciprocally and then I present some results of my previous studies using a methodology consisting in “narrating-transcribing-reading-narrating.” The results show that self narratives can have positive effects on the narrators if they are provided with a tool to reflect on their memories. Moreover these results show that autobiography in its double sides — that of memory and that of narrative — is a process of continuous construction but also that this construction is deeply linked to social interactions.

scholarly journals The effects of eye movements and alternative dual tasks on the vividness and emotionality of negative autobiographical memories: A meta-analysis of laboratory studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 204380872090774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanne T. L. Houben ◽  
Henry Otgaar ◽  
Jeffrey Roelofs ◽  
Harald Merckelbach ◽  
Peter Muris
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Dual Tasks ◽  
The Impact

Performing eye movements during memory retrieval is considered to be important for the therapeutic effect of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). We conducted a meta-analysis of laboratory studies that compared the effects of eye movements and/or alternative dual tasks (e.g., counting) on the vividness and emotionality of negative autobiographical memories with recall only (control) conditions. The databases PsycINFO and Web of Science were queried. Fifteen studies that involved 942 participants were included. Eye movements and alternative dual tasks produced similar vividness and emotionality decreases, with the impact on vividness being strong than that on emotionality. However, eye movements yielded a stronger overall vividness reduction than alternative dual tasks, although the associated effect size was small (Cohen’s d = .29). Because eye movements and alternative dual tasks produced comparable effects, one might conclude that both tasks are therapeutic equivalents. However, it should be acknowledged that only a limited number of laboratory studies were included in our meta-analysis, and the degree to which both procedures tax working memory was not independently established. Although our conclusion cannot be generalized to clinical practice, it does raise questions about the mode of action of EMDR.

scholarly journals Trait Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation upon Autobiographical Memory Retrieval during Depression Remission

Mindfulness ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 2828-2840
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Eriksen Isham ◽  
Adriana del Palacio-Gonzalez ◽  
Barbara Dritschel
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Trait Mindfulness ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Memory Suppression ◽  
History Of ◽  
Remitted Depression

Abstract Objectives Depression is associated with both emotion dysregulation upon retrieval of autobiographical memories and low trait mindfulness. The present study raised the question of whether these processes are related to each other and whether they may reflect a cognitive-affective vulnerability in individuals at risk of depression. The study examined emotion regulation in response to involuntary and voluntary autobiographical memories during depression remission and explored how trait mindfulness relates to such emotion regulation. Methods The study employed a naturalistic design in which individuals with remitted depression (n = 35) and individuals with no history of depression (n = 32) completed a trait mindfulness measure and a structured memory diary where they rated state use of five emotion regulation strategies upon involuntary and voluntary autobiographical memory retrieval. Results Individuals with remitted depression reported heightened brooding in response to autobiographical memories when memory retrieval occurred involuntarily, and trait mindfulness was low. Depression remission and higher trait mindfulness were independently associated with greater cognitive reappraisal efforts upon involuntary retrieval of autobiographical memories. Higher trait mindfulness predicted less memory suppression, irrespective of depression history and memory retrieval mode. Conclusions The findings suggest a vulnerability in emotional processing of autobiographical memories during depression remission that is dependent on mindfulness skill level and how memories come to mind.

scholarly journals The function of “looking-at-nothing” for sequential sensorimotor tasks: Eye movements to remembered action-target locations

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Martina Foerster
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Hand Movements ◽  
Manual Control ◽  
Blank Screen ◽  
Visual Targets ◽  
Target Locations ◽  
Sensorimotor Performance ◽  
Central Fixation

When performing manual actions, eye movements precede hand movements to target locations: Before we grasp an object, we look at it. Eye-hand guidance is even preserved when visual targets are unavailable, e.g., grasping behind an occlusion. This “looking-at-nothing” behavior might be functional, e.g., as “deictic pointer” for manual control or as memory-retrieval cue, or a by-product of automatization. Here, it is studied if looking at empty locations before acting on them is beneficial for sensorimotor performance. In five experiments, participants completed a click sequence on eight visual targets for 0-100 trials while they had either to fixate on the screen center or could move their eyes freely. During 50-100 consecutive trials, participants clicked the same sequence on a blank screen with free or fixed gaze. During both phases, participants looked at target locations when gaze shifts were allowed. With visual targets, target fixations led to faster, more precise clicking, fewer errors, and sparser cursor-paths than central fixation. Without visual information, a tiny free-gaze benefit could sometimes be observed and was rather a memory than a motor-calculation benefit. Interestingly, central fixation during learning forced early explicit encoding causing a strong benefit for acting on remembered targets later, independent of whether eyes moved then.

scholarly journals Preprint Averting Repulsion? Body-Directed Self-Disgust and Autobiographical Memory Retrieval

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula von Spreckelsen ◽  
Ineke Wessel ◽  
Klaske A. Glashouwer ◽  
Peter J. de Jong
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Memory Test ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Schematic Representation ◽  
Memory Processing ◽  
Memory Specificity ◽  
Body Image Concerns ◽  
Cue Words

The repulsive body image (RBI) describes a schematic representation of the own body marked by body-directed self-disgust and other body image concerns. This RBI may bias autobiographical memory processing towards RBI-congruent memories, which would be expected to be overgeneral, because disgust may promote the avoidance of specific memories. In the current study, women with high (HRBI; n = 61) and low (LRBI; n = 64) RBI levels retrieved memories in response to abstract body-related cue words in a minimal instructions Autobiographical Memory Test. Compared to the LRBI group, the HRBI group recalled a higher number of autobiographical memories that involved appraisals of the own body as disgusting, and reported elevated habitual tendencies to prevent experiencing disgust towards the own body. Neither RBI scores nor tendencies to prevent experiencing body-related disgust were found to be statistically significant predictors of memory specificity. In light of the low memory specificity in the whole sample, more sensitive measures of autobiographical memory specificity may be needed to examine disgust-driven avoidance at the memory level. Nevertheless, the current results may indicate that disgust-related memories and the prevention of experiencing disgust towards the own body could play a role in the persistence of body image concerns.

Involuntary Autobiographical Memories

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Mace
Keyword(s):  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Mental Life ◽  
Autobiographical Memories ◽  
Memory Research ◽  
The Past ◽  
Functional Nature ◽  
Involuntary Memories

Spontaneous recollections of the past are a common and salient part of everyday mental life. However, memory researchers have only recently (i.e. within the past twenty years) turned their attention to the study of this memory phenomenon. While research in this area has answered a number of pressing questions about the nature of involuntary memories, answers to some questions remain elusive (e.g. determining their functional nature). This chapter reviews the main body of this work. In addition, the chapter looks to the future of involuntary memory research, highlighting its promise in a number of regards (e.g. its potential role in informing an understanding of autobiographical memory retrieval).

Are Deficits in Social Cognition Linked to Autobiographical Memory in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease?

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 257-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes H. Scheidemann ◽  
Franz Petermann ◽  
Marc Schipper
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Clinical Group ◽  
Neuropsychological Test Battery ◽  
Fluency Task

Abstract. We investigated theory of mind (ToM) deficits in Alzheimer‘s disease (AD) and its possible connection to autobiographical memory (ABM). Patients and matched controls were evaluated and compared using a video-based ToM test, an autobiographical fluency task, and a neuropsychological test battery. We found that ToM deficits were positively associated with semantic ABM in the clinical group, whereas a positive relationship appeared between ToM and episodic ABM in controls. We hypothesize that this reflects the course of the disease as well as that semantic ABM is used for ToM processing, being still accessible in AD. Furthermore, we assume that it is also less efficient, which in turn leads to a specific deficit profile of social cognition.

Interindividual Differences in Cognitive Functioning Are Associated with Autobiographical Memory Retrieval Specificity in Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Peters ◽  
Signy Sheldon
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Generation Task ◽  
Interindividual Differences ◽  
Retrieval Cues ◽  
Contextual Support

Abstract. We examined whether interindividual differences in cognitive functioning among older adults are related to episodic memory engagement during autobiographical memory retrieval. Older adults ( n = 49, 24 males; mean age = 69.93; mean education = 15.45) with different levels of cognitive functioning, estimated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), retrieved multiple memories (generation task) and the details of a single memory (elaboration task) to cues representing thematic or event-specific autobiographical knowledge. We found that the MoCA score positively predicted the proportion of specific memories for generation and episodic details for elaboration, but only to cues that represented event-specific information. The results demonstrate that individuals with healthy, but not unhealthy, cognitive status can leverage contextual support from retrieval cues to improve autobiographical specificity.

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