The use of autobiographical knowledge in age estimation.
Event dates are not directly associated with memories, so the processes by which we maintain a sense of time and sequence in our autobiographical memories is of considerable interest. The present study examined participants' reported age estimation strategies for childhood memories retrieved using a Galton-Crovitz cueing technique. The results indicate that all three categories of autobiographical knowledge in Conway and Pleydell-Pearce's (2000) self-memory system model-lifetime periods, general events, and event-specific details-support temporal inferences. However, participants most frequently used lifetime period knowledge to provide an initial age range, and event-specific knowledge was used to confirm or narrow the range of their estimated age.
Arbuthnott
Katherine D
KD
Campion College, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. katherine.arbuthnott@uregina.ca
Brown
Aaron A
AA
D000367:Age Factors; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012649:Self Concept; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult