Current Trends In Autobiographical Memory Study And Investigation On Some Related Issues

When memory material is related to subject self, performance of recalling will increase significantly. This phenomenon is termed as self-reference effect, which is viewed as a strong evidence for autobiographical memory. Systematic research on this type of memory can be dated back to the 19th century when Galton invented the breakfast questionnaire and the word-cueing method. With the accumulation of related research on autobiographical memory it has become a new focus in recent years. Featured as self-reference distinctly, autobiographical memory is a type of memory in conformity with the content of personal life events. Research on autobiographical memory centered on three aspects such as childhood amnesia, reminiscence bump, and self-reference effect. The causes for childhood amnesia are the poor development of episodic memory, lack of certain verbal capabilities, and narrative structure which organize personal experiences into regularity. Reminiscence bump is related to the establishment of self conformity and independent self-concept. From the perspective of fine processing theory, self-reference effect is considered as a highly elaborative structure and is able to associate memory material with exiting information in self system, while organization theory perceives that self-reference effect classifies material into two categories in which only organized memorymaterial reveals significant effect. Three patterns are used in relevant research: R/K judgment method, word-cueing method, and diary method with R/K judgment method as the most often used.This thesis focuses on the two innovative dynamic models in autobiographical memory research: self-memory system model and cellular automata system model. In accordance with self-memory system model, the SMS contains an autobiographical knowledge base and current goals of the working self. Autobiographical memory is a temporary and dynamic mental framework triggered by internal knowledge base and is featured as containing specific knowledge at different levels. Autobiographical knowledge base is divided into three levels in terms of specification: life periods, general events, and event-specific knowledge. Cellular automata system model is a dispersive and dynamic configuration with the assumption that the stress of information integration promotes internal change which forms stable self structure eventually. When stress increases, self resists the information contradicted with one's self-concept and regains equilibrium. When stress decreases, it undermines the tendency to self-organization and the dynamic system is affected by external information easily. Cellular automata system model plays a key role in explaining how local patterns of elements enhance the formation of the whole quality in the complex system. Comparatively speaking, cellular automata system model, with its extensive practical value, serves as a stronger role in demonstrating how self-referenced autobiographical memory functions in the dynamic construction of self system.After analyzing the survey on memory targeted to college students, the author comes up with the mechanism of self formation and improvement in which the self system emphasizes the integration to setback information by adapting integrative regularity of cellular automata and strengthens adaptability to setback. The formation model for self defense mechanism follows the dynamic helix of undermined-balanced-undermined again-rebalanced format. Less or too strong setback leads to abnormal development of self-confidence. Therefore, cellular automata system model has special implications for self improvement such as assertive training.