Remembering pride and shame: Self-enhancement and the phenomenology of autobiographical memory

[en] People's self-images are grounded in autobiographical memories and, in particular, in the phenomenological experience associated with remembering. The desire to increase or maintain the positivity of the self-image (i.e., the self-enhancement motive) might thus play an important role in shaping memory phenomenology. This study examined this hypothesis by asking participants to recall positive and negative events that involve self-evaluations (i.e., pride and shame) and positive and negative events that involve evaluations about others (i.e., admiration and contempt); various phenomenological characteristics (e.g., sensory details, feeling of re-experiencing) were assessed using rating scales. The results show a positivity bias (i.e., subjectively remembering positive events with more details than negative events) for events that involve self-evaluations but not for events that involve evaluations of others. In addition, this bias was stronger for people high in self-esteem. It is concluded that biases affecting the phenomenology of autobiographical memory are part of the arsenal of psychological mechanisms people use to maintain a positive self-image.

Disciplines :

Theoretical & cognitive psychology

Author, co-author :

D'Argembeau, Arnaud ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cognitives > Psychopathologie cognitive

Van der Linden, Martial ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cognitives > Psychopathologie cognitive

Language :

English

Title :

Remembering pride and shame: Self-enhancement and the phenomenology of autobiographical memory

Publication date :

2008

Journal title :

Memory

ISSN :

0965-8211

eISSN :

1464-0686

Publisher :

Taylor & Francis Ltd, Basingstoke, United Kingdom

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

538-547

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Commentary :

The original publication is available at www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com

Available on ORBi :

since 06 January 2009

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