An Experimental Investigation of Specificity and Generality in Memory Narratives

Abstract

Research in memory and personality has distinguished between memory narratives of specific events and summaries of many events blended together. This differentiation has been linked to both the hierarchical organization of memory and to individual differences in personality. Four experiments, with 506 subjects, were conducted to demonstrate that this single event/summary memory narrative distinction could be formalized and reliably scored, using both written and spoken memory narratives. Mean interrater agreement was 93 percent, Kappa = .78. The mean frequency of recall of single event memory narratives was 78 percent, summary memory narratives, 22 percent. It was also demonstrated that a request for personally significant memories relevant to one's self-understanding increases the number of summary memory narratives retrieved. Summary and single event memories were not significantly different in affective quality.