PSYC Semineri: “Autobiographical Memories of Achieved and Unachieved Goals,” Prof. Ali İ. Tekcan (Boğaziçi University), C-Block Amphi, 12:40 28 Kasım (EN)

Dear Colleagues and Students,

You are cordially invited to a seminar titled “Autobiographical Memories of Achieved and Unachieved Goals” by Full Professor Ali İ. Tekcan from the Psychology Department at Boğaziçi University.

Date: 28 November 2019, Thursday
Time: 12:40-13:40
Place: FEASS; C Block Amphi

Autobiographical Memories of Achieved and Unachieved Goals

It is argued that personal goals – as components of one’s sense of self – and autobiographical memory are reciprocally related. Goals function as control processes guiding encoding and accessibility of experiences. In turn, autobiographical memories contribute to maintenance or modification of goal coherence and self-images.

Although research suggests that experiences associated with current goals are remembered faster, in more detail and with stronger phenomenological experience (e.g., Johannessen & Berntsen, 2010), there are very few studies on what happens under different goal outcomes (e.g., abondoned goals, unachieved goals). Indeed, predictions based on existing theoretical models (e.g., Conway, 2010) do not necessarily provide clear predictions.

In the present work, we addressed the link between goal attainment and autobiographical memory by focusing on past goals. More specifically, we investigated the content and phenomenological characteristics of autobiographical memories associated with attained vs. unattained goals individuals set for themselves.