The Self and Memory

Since the 1980s psychologists have been thinking about memory in a more expansive manner by asking not so much what memory is, but what memory is for, what its functions are, and how the functions of memory influence the workings of the mind. The last decade has witnessed an explosion of research interest in self-relevant and self-defining memories, autobiographical memories, and the life narrative. This volume takes a richer, more inclusive look at memory in the context of the self. Noted scholars from a broad range of sub-disciplines in psychology discuss the ways in which the memories of our lives come to influence who we are, our personalities, and our emotional functioning. Other topics covered include how our personalities and self-concepts influence what we remember from our lives, and the notion of memory and the self as interdependent psychological phenomena.