Neden hatırlıyoruz? Değişken koşullarda otobiyografik bellek işlevleri

Three studies in this dissertation focused on the individual differences in autobiographical remembering across different contexts. First, higher-order mechanisms of remembering were characterized and three memory components were proposed, indicating encoding, rehearsal and recollection. Then, individual differences in adult attachment were examined to test whether attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance was differentially reflected on the components of remembering. The second study examined the rehearsal function to characterize the role of distinct rehearsal patterns (i.e. involuntary and voluntary) in the way failures and achievements are represented over time. Ruminative tendency, as a construct, is very much related to rehearsal, therefore, specific forms of rumination, brooding and reflection, were investigated to characterize their relative influence on the link between rehearsal and memory experience. Results showed that the way each rehearsal function operated was distinguished in relation with ruminative tendencies, pointing out the individual differences in what is functional and how this variation shapes remembering. The third study specifically examined the emotion regulation function of autobiographical memory. After participants were induced negative emotions, they were asked to report any memory to test whether autobiographical remembering operates to down-regulate negative affect with the retrieval of positive memories. Supporting for a counter-regulation mechanism, the more negative individuals were feeling, the more positive memories they recalled subsequently. Overall, the three studies provided complimentary evidence explaining the link between the individual and autobiographical remembering. What is functional may not be identical for every individual and every context, which underlines an idiosyncratic approach especially when studying memory functions.