Autobiographical Memory

Autobiographical memory is long‐term episodic memory for personal life experiences. Both detail and neural specificity of autobiographical memory become more diffuse with age. Autobiographical memory is characterized by different key features across the lifespan including the phenomenon of infantile amnesia, the reminiscence bump, flashbulb memories, and the positivity effect. While research into false memory suggests that autobiographical memory may not always be accurate, the connection of autobiographical memories to identity concerns suggests that complete accuracy may not always be essential and, instead, that the interpretation of experience is more important to understanding individual identity. Autobiographical memory is also inherently social and, as such, important for interpersonal experience and contingent upon sociocultural norms and expectancies.