Memory for Episodic Details of Naturalistic Events Remains Stable Over the Course of One Week

Author

Kennedy E. Stomberg, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkFollow

Date of Degree

9-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Program

Cognitive Neuroscience

Advisor

Kerstin B. Unger

Subject Categories

Other Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

episodic memory, events, event segmentation theory, event richness

Abstract

We have many experiences every day, and we tend to parse them into individual events. While many studies have been conducted to understand the nature of event segmentation, less is known how event memories change over time. In the present study, participants watched a movie clip, and then were asked to immediately retell what they had seen. They performed the same free recall task a week later. We found that the passage of time did not significantly affect the number of recalled events or the detailedness of event memories. We discuss potential explanations for our findings, including our small sample size and flaws in the experimental design.

Recommended Citation

Stomberg, Kennedy E., "Memory for Episodic Details of Naturalistic Events Remains Stable Over the Course of One Week" (2020). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4011