Self-confirmative functions of involuntary autobiographical memories

Abstract

This study investigated the functions of involuntary memory, which is memory of personal experience that pops into mind without a conscious attempt at retrieval. Thirteen undergraduates recorded the contents of their involuntary memories and the circumstances surrounding their occurrence, such as the participant's activity. In addition, the participants described the effect of the involuntary memory on their thought and action in that situation. Analysis of the data showed that the dominant function of involuntary memory was self-confirmation. The subsets of this function were: (a) recognition of one's existence in the past, (b) recognition of one's own psychological traits in the past, (c) discovering new traits of oneself through checking one's personal past, (d) understanding the change of one's traits, and (e) recognizing the consistency of one's traits. These results indicate that one of the main functions of involuntary autobiographical memory may be to provide a sense of self-continuity.