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ERIC Number: EJ790886
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Mar
Pages: 15
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0163-853X
EISSN: N/A
Narration and Vividness as Measures of Event-Specificity in Autobiographical Memory
Nelson, Kristin L.; Moskovitz, Damian J.; Steiner, Hans
Discourse Processes: A Multidisciplinary Journal, v45 n2 p195-209 Mar 2008
The event specificity of autobiographical memories refers to the degree to which retold memories include specific details about a unique personal experience from a variety of representational systems supported by different brain areas. This article proposes 2 text measures as indicators of event specificity: (a) a measure of temporal sequence in narration (Labov & Waletzky, 1967; Nelson & Horowitz, 2001) and (b) referential activity (RA; Bucci, 1997). Temporal sequence in narration measures the degree to which a personal memory includes clauses spoken in the same order as the speaker's representation of events. RA is text vividness, or the extent to which words clearly refer to a speaker's detailed cognitive, sensory, and emotional experiences. This article hypothesizes that temporal sequences and RA are both signs of speaker activation of event-specific memories and should be positively correlated. Using 55 transcripts from high school students interviewed about their "most stressful time," this article analyzes the first 250 words of each memory for narrative temporal sequences and for RA. Number of temporal sequences and RA scores were positively associated (Spearman's r = 0.69, p less than 0.001), consistent with the hypothesis. (Contains 1 table.)
Lawrence Erlbaum. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/default.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A