Point of View in Personal Memories

1
Point of View in Personal Memories

• By Georgia Nigro
• and
• Ulric Neisser
• 1983
• (Summarized By Jamie Parks)

2
Introduction

• The first study was carried out to determine
  whether people would find it possible to classify
  their memories as observer or field.
• Observer- in your memory, you imagine the scene
  as an observer might see it. In the memory you
  would see yourself.
• Field- in your memory , you imagine the scene
  from you original point of view.

3
Methods

• 20 undergraduate students participated in the
  study for pay.
• 2 part questionnaire
• Part 1- named 10 familiar situations.
• Having a conversation Studying
• Being embarrassed Watching
  television
• Being elated
  Swimming
• Being angry
  Running
• Being frightened Giving
  a public
• 
  presentation

4
Methods

• Subjects were asked to recall times when they
  were in those given situations.
• If they succeeded in recalling the memories they
  went on to part two.
• Part 2- Subjects were asked to classify the
  memories they recalled as O, F, or N.

5
Results
Frequencies of Observer, Field, and Neither Responses in Study 1 Frequencies of Observer, Field, and Neither Responses in Study 1 Frequencies of Observer, Field, and Neither Responses in Study 1 Frequencies of Observer, Field, and Neither Responses in Study 1
Situation Observer Field Neither
Having a conversation 4 13 3
Being embarrassed 4 11 2
Being elated 5 12 3
Being angry 6 13 1
Being frightened 7 9 2
Studying 7 11 2
Watching television 8 11 1
Swimming 9 8 3
Running 10 6 4
Giving a public presentation 11 6 3

Total 71 100 24
6
Discussion

• Even though there seems to be a connection
  between self-awareness and it producing observer
  memories it was weak in this study.
• The situations need to be adequately defined.
• Running, for exercise or from a threat?

7
Methods of Study 2

• 20 undergraduate students participated for pay,
  none of them had participated in Study 1.
• 4 part questionnaire
• Part 1- Listed 8 different situations.
• Being in an accident or near-accident
• Watching a horror movie
• Watching the news on television
• Running for exercise
• Walking or running from a threatening situation
• Demonstrating a skilled act to a child or friend
• Giving an individual public presentation
• Being in a group performance

8
Methods Continued

• Part 2 Paired the 8 situations up with one
  another to make a total of 56 possible pairs.
• They were then asked to rate how similar the two
  situations were to one another on a 7 point
  scale. 1 representing not similar at all to 7
  very similar.
• Example
• Running for exercise and watching a horror movie.
  

9
Methods Continued

• Part 3- Subjects were asked to consider each
  memory again and rate the emotionality of the
  event as well as how self-aware they had been at
  the time.
• Emotionality Scale- Ranged from 1 most emotional
  experience of my life to 4 not emotional at
  all, neutral.
• Self awareness scale- Ranged from 1 keenly
  aware of myself to 4 not aware of myself at
  all
• Part 4- Subjects were asked to classify
  their recalled memories as either O, F, or N.

10
Results
Running for exercise (F) Demonstrating Skill (F) Group Performance (O) Running From Threat (O) Public Presentation (O)
Television News (F) Accident (F) Horror Movie (F)
11
Discussion

• It suggests that events involving a relatively
  high degree of emotional self-awareness are
  likely to produce observer memories.

12
General Discussion

• Throughout the study we have found that most
  subjects can have both observer and field
  memories.
• Observer memories were reported in memories that
  are rated as emotional and self-conscious.
• Field memories were reported more in recent
  memories.
• Experimenters can deliberately attempt to make
  subjects remember O or F memories.

13
References

• Nigro, G., Neisser, U. (1983). Point
• of view in personal memories.
• Cognitive Psychology, 15, 467-482.