Latent constructs model explaining the attachment-linked variation in autobiographical remembering

Abstract

In the current study, we proposed a latent constructs model to characterise the qualitative aspects of autobiographical remembering and investigated the structural relations in the model that may vary across individuals. Primarily, we focused on the memories of romantic relationships and argued that attachment anxiety and avoidance would be reflected in the ways that individuals encode, rehearse, or remember autobiographical memories in close relationships. Participants reported two positive and two negative relationship-specific memories and rated the characteristics for each memory. As predicted, the basic memory model yielded appropriate fit, indicating that event characteristics (EC) predicted the frequency of rehearsal (RC) and phenomenology at retrieval (PC). When attachment variables were integrated, the model showed that rehearsal mediated the link between anxiety and PC, especially for negative memories. On the other hand, for avoidance EC was the key factor mediating the link between avoidance and RC, as well as PC. Findings were discussed with respect to autobiographical memory functions emphasising a systematically, integrated framework.

What will I tell you about my marriage? The relationship between attachment and autobiographical memory of married life

“…A few studies have focused on the way attachment shapes autobiographical memory in terms of the accessibility and phenomenological features, including vividness, coherence, and emotional intensity (Dykas et al, 2014; Öner & Gülgöz, 2015; Sutin & Gillath, 2009). For example, secure individuals tend to regard their attachment figure as a secure base, which enables them to generate emotional autobiographical memories easily and to regulate negative affect effectively (Mikulincer & Orbach, 1995).…”

Remembering the past and imagining the future: attachment effects on production of episodic details in close relationships

“…A large body of findings have revealed the impact of IWMs on autobiographical memories (Dykas, Woodhouse, Jones, & Cassidy, 2014; Gentzler & Kerns, 2006; Haggerty, Siefert, & Weinberger, 2010; Kohn, Rholes, & Schmeichel, 2012; Öner & Gülgöz, 2016; Sutin & Gillath, 2009), which indicates that IWMs have connections with previous experiences. Autobiographical memories are recollections of past events to construct one’s life history, and reflections of one’s self concept and relationships with significant others (Howe & Courage, 1997).…”

“…IWMs, acting as a schema or cognitive structure (Bretherton & Munholland, 2008), are useful in understanding individual differences in how autobiographical memories are reconstructed (Haggerty et al, 2010). Existing studies on autobiographical memory have mainly focused on how attachment shapes autobiographical memories in terms of their accessibility, affective valence, and phenomenological features, including vividness, coherence, and emotional intensity (Dykas et al, 2014; Gentzler & Kerns, 2006; Haggerty et al, 2010; Kohn et al, 2012; Öner & Gülgöz, 2016; Sutin & Gillath, 2009). For example, attachment insecurity relates to less coherent narratives of attachment-relevant memory (Sutin & Gillath, 2009) and insecure individuals remember daily events less positively than what they originally perceived (Gentzler & Kerns, 2006).…”

How Do I Narrate My Marriage: The Relationship Between Attachment Orientation and Quality of Autobiographical Memory

“…For example, highly avoidant individuals who attempt to down-regulate emotions report attachment-related autobiographical memories that have less emotional intensity ( Mikulincer and Orbach, 1995 ; Haggerty et al, 2010 ) and are less coherent than less avoidant individuals ( Sutin and Gillath, 2009 ), representing their deactivation of the attachment system. In contrast, anxious adults are more likely to be highly aroused by negative attachment-related autobiographical memories and to evaluate these memories as vivid and pictorial ( Öner and Gülgöz, 2016 ).…”

“…Although these studies have provided a preliminary investigation of the role that attachment plays in the construction of AM (e.g., Sutin and Gillath, 2009 ; Öner and Gülgöz, 2016 ), the self-report methodology used in these studies is likely to prompt participants to retrieve memories through a particular filter ( Panattoni and McLean, 2017 ). In addition, it may capture a participant’s conscious evaluation of features of a narrated experience and may be influenced by self-regulation ( Alea et al, 2004 ; Panattoni and McLean, 2017 ).…”