Affiliations: Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany | Department of Psychology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany | Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Universita degli Studi di Padova, Italy
Note: [] Correspondence to: Irene Daum, Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Gartenstr. 29, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
Abstract: This study investigated autobiographical memory for emotionally flavoured experiences in amnesia. Ten amnesic patients and 10 matched control subjects completed the Autobiographical Memory Interview and three semi-structured interviews which assessed memory for personal events associated with pain, happiness and fear. Despite retrograde amnesia for autobiographical facts and incidents, amnesics remembered a similar number of emotionally significant personal experiences as control subjects. Their recollections generally lacked elaboration and detail, but pain-related memories appeared to be more mildly impaired than memories associated with happiness and fear. The findings are discussed in relation to recent views on the relationship between affect and memory.
