Remembering for Relationships: Brief Cognitive-Reminiscence Therapy Improves Young Adults’ Perceptions About Self and Others in Relationships

Reminiscence-based interventions involve the guided recall and interpretation of autobiographical memories to promote adaptive thinking. This study involved secondary analyses of a recent trial of a positively focused, three-session version of cognitive-reminiscence therapy (CRT) on generalised perceptions of relationship quality and interpersonally related psychological resources in young adults. A community sample (N = 62, Mage = 24.6 [SD = 3.1], 71% females) of young adults were randomised into a CRT and wait-list condition. Participants completed assessments measuring perceived relationship quality (relationship satisfaction, emotional intimacy, commitment, and trust) and perceptions of self and others within relationships (relationship self-esteem, relationship self-efficacy, relationship optimism and meaning in relationships). The CRT group, relative to the control group, scored significantly higher on perceived relationship quality (d = 0.62), and higher on generalized relationship self-efficacy (d = 0.70), relationship self-esteem (d = 0.59), and relationship optimism (d = 0.57) at the follow-up. Group differences for relationship meaning were non-trivial (small to moderate), but not statistically significant. A brief, positive-focused, intervention of guided recall of autobiographical memories was generally effective in improving perceptions about self and others within the context of relationships in young adults. Replication studies with larger samples are needed. Future research may expand CRT to target other relationship variables, assess the impacts of different doses, explore relationships in specific populations, and better understand the mechanisms for change.

Integration of Sexual and Relational Mental Representations in Autobiographical Memories is Associated with Sexual Well-Being

Determinants of sexual well-being have often been identified as sexual and relational satisfaction, which both include a focus on partner relationship. Such a conceptualization excludes sexually active single individuals, while confusing sexual and relational satisfaction with sexual well-being as both determinant and outcome. In the present research, we propose an intrapersonal perspective focused on cognitive sexual and relational mental representations as determinants of sexual well-being. Based on behavioral systems theory, we suggest that a high level of integration of sexual and relational mental representations should be associated with sexual well-being indicators, whereas a weaker level of integration should correspond to a lower level of sexual well-being. We developed a novel codification scheme to measure the cognitive integration of sexual and relational mental representations in narratives of sexual autobiographical memories. We examined its associations with sexual well-being indicators (satisfaction, passion, and sociosexuality). In a sample of 142 students, results showed that integration of sexual and relational representations in memories was positively associated with sexual satisfaction and harmonious passion, and negatively with obsessive passion and sociosexual desire. Results suggest that an integrated cognitive organization of sexual and relational mental representations in autobiographical memories can reflect a greater sexual wellbeing. Clinical implications are discussed.

The Operational Process of Nostalgia: The Trigger Determines the Nostalgic Experience

Nostalgia is a complex affective state with a strong cognitive component focussed on past autobiographical memories. This complex nature of nostalgia is discussed in the literature but there are scarce empirical observations of state nostalgic processes. In this study, the operational process of nostalgia is explored by the use of two types of stimuli—indirect (instructions) and direct (music)—with a sample of 285 participants (18–35 years old) in a mixed-method experimental design. Nostalgia was observed in terms of its operational process (reaction time, duration, intensity and variation), the characteristics of the recalled event (event type and contents), and the nature of the nostalgic experience (its phenomenology, affect and motivation). The studied parameters of all three nostalgic components were found to vary with the stimulus that triggered it. The study shows that nostalgia is not a constant phenomenon but depends on the conditions that give rise to it.

Intention and Monitoring Influence the Content of Memory Reports

Objectives While voluntary memories are intended and expected, involuntary memories are retrieved with no intention and are usually unexpected (when one is not waiting for a memory). The present study investigates the effects of retrieval intentionality ( wanting to retrieve a memory) and monitoring processes ( expecting a memory to appear) on the characteristics of autobiographical memories. Methods To this end, by applying mixed-method analysis of memory descriptions (i.e. combining qualitative with quantitative analyses) we re-analysed the large pool of involuntary and voluntary memories obtained in one previously published study, asking independent judges to rate all the memories on several dimensions reflecting memory accessibility (i.e. the likelihood that a memory can be retrieved). Results When discussing our findings, we speculate that there may be several stages of memory retrieval that might be differently influenced by intention and monitoring. Conclusions We discuss the novel hypothesis that there may be two different types of monitoring that operate independently of each other, before and after retrieval, respectively.

Imagery agnosia and its phenomenology

Lack of vivid sensory imagery has recently become an active subject of research, under the name of aphantasia. Extremely vivid imagery, or hyperphantasia, is at the other end of the spectrum of individual differences. While most research has focused on visual imagery in this paper I argue that from a neuropsychological perspective this phenomenon is much more widespread, and should be categorized as imagery sensory agnosia. After over twenty years of learning to play music phenomenology of auditory imagery agnosia is described from the first-person perspective. Reflections on other forms of imagery agnosia and deficits of autobiographical memories are presented and a hypothesis about putative brain processes that can account for such phenomena is discussed. Extreme individual differences in imagery and in autobiographical memory have implications for many fields of study, from consciousness research to education.

Reminiscence groupwork and autobiographical memory as part of meaningful activities

The current paper describes a reminiscence group activity session held as part of meaningful activities engagement for older adults. Topics of reminiscence included both autobiographical memories and memories of broader historical events from the past. Participants included those with memory impairment and those without, and participants with healthy memory were helpful in prompting memories in participants with memory impairment. Semantic and episodic autobiographical memory were assessed at baseline and following the end of both group activities, using the Episodic Autobiographical Memory Interview (EAMI) and quality of life was assessed using the Quality of Life AD-scale (QOL-AD). The reminiscence intervention did not significantly affect autobiographical memory recall or quality of life. However, oral reminiscence was reported to have increased outside of the reminiscence sessions.

The Role of Eye-Movements in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Eye-Movements Lower the Number of Intrusive Thoughts of Negative Memories

<p>Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was developed as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and involves the patient thinking about a traumatic event while simultaneously moving their eyes from side to side. Despite substantial support for the efficacy of EMDR questions remain regarding how eye-movements contribute to therapy. One explanation is that eye-movements tax a part of working memory known as the central executive; however, the exact mechanism involved is still unclear. Previous eye-movement research has focussed on self-ratings of vividness and emotionality of negative memories as the primary outcome measures. The focus of the current research was to examine the effect of eye-movements on the suppression of negative autobiographical memories in addition to vividness and emotionality. Non-clinical participants were asked to recall negative autobiographical memories and then verbally reported ratings of vividness and emotionality. In the eye-movement conditions, which varied by speed and direction of movement, eye-movements were stimulated using dots on a computer screen. Participants were then asked to avoid thinking of their memories, and intrusive thoughts were measured by pressing a computer key. Six experiments found that, overall, the effect of eye-movements on self-ratings was inconsistent, but that eye-movements reliably improved suppression of negative autobiographical memories. The findings also support the central executive explanation for the effectiveness of eye-movements in EMDR.</p>

The Role of Eye-Movements in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Eye-Movements Lower the Number of Intrusive Thoughts of Negative Memories

<p>Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was developed as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and involves the patient thinking about a traumatic event while simultaneously moving their eyes from side to side. Despite substantial support for the efficacy of EMDR questions remain regarding how eye-movements contribute to therapy. One explanation is that eye-movements tax a part of working memory known as the central executive; however, the exact mechanism involved is still unclear. Previous eye-movement research has focussed on self-ratings of vividness and emotionality of negative memories as the primary outcome measures. The focus of the current research was to examine the effect of eye-movements on the suppression of negative autobiographical memories in addition to vividness and emotionality. Non-clinical participants were asked to recall negative autobiographical memories and then verbally reported ratings of vividness and emotionality. In the eye-movement conditions, which varied by speed and direction of movement, eye-movements were stimulated using dots on a computer screen. Participants were then asked to avoid thinking of their memories, and intrusive thoughts were measured by pressing a computer key. Six experiments found that, overall, the effect of eye-movements on self-ratings was inconsistent, but that eye-movements reliably improved suppression of negative autobiographical memories. The findings also support the central executive explanation for the effectiveness of eye-movements in EMDR.</p>

Under what circumstances does autobiographical memory enhance self-control?

<p>Self-control is an important skill because it helps us regulate many of our behaviours, such as how much we eat and drink. Limiting our intake of food and drink is sometimes difficult to do, however. One explanation for why self-control can be difficult is because the value for good health is discounted because it’s delayed, whereas the reward of food and drink are immediate. This is known as delay discounting: larger, future rewards (e.g. saving for a future holiday) decrease in value with the increase in delay and thus people sometimes pick a smaller, sooner reward instead (e.g. needless shopping now). Using a delay discounting paradigm, this study examined whether autobiographical memories can enhance self-control. Study 1 was a replication study and found that cuing participants to retrieve positive, episodic memories enhanced self-control. This effect was only evident in one out of two delay discounting measures used, however. Building on these findings, Study 2 and 3 investigated whether the amount of episodic detail in specific autobiographical memories and a positive self-concept contribute to the effect of autobiographical memory enhancing self-control. The amount of episodic detail recalled was not related to self-control and results about a positive self-concept were inconclusive. Unexpectedly Study 3 also yielded a non-significant result for positive, episodic memory enhancing self-control. Participants in Study 3 were, however, significantly more tired than participants in Study 1, raising the possibility that they were less engaged in the task. This pattern of findings suggests that the effect of autobiographical memory on self-control is fragile, and is possibly influenced by factors such as participant fatigue. Potential reasons for the fragile effect and inconclusive results, and a potential way forward are also discussed.</p>