PDF (PhD Thesis Susan Chipchase) - Nottingham eTheses ...

(e.g. Conway et al., 1994). Memory for traumatic events has been shown to be
accurate, although not flawless, for a variety of experiences, including
kidnapping and concentration camp experiences and the study of these
memories has at times been wrought with heated debate (Schooler & Eich,
2000). One of these debates has been whether traumatic memories can be
completely forgotten and then accurately recovered.
The study of emotional disorders has often included an examination of
autographical memories and how their characteristics may differ between
people with and without a certain disorder. For example Williams et al. (2007)
found that the specificity of autobiographical memories can have an important
impact on clinical depression, and that when this specificity of memories is
modified it can reduce depression.
Section 2.2.2. Experimentally produced memories
Memories of events that happen in a controlled laboratory setting or
memories of various stimuli that are presented to participants within an
experiment can be measured in different ways. There are normally three
distinct phases in experimental memory research: an encoding or study phase
in which materials are presented to the participant, a retention interval and a
retrieval or test phase in which the participant attempts to respond to a
question, for which the answer involves the use of the initially studied
information (Lockhart, 2000). Experimental manipulations at each of these
stages of memory research can be used to provide insight into the cognitive
processes involved in memory. In this thesis the influence of emotion on
memory will be considered by experimental manipulations at the times of
encoding and retrieving a memory. The impact of manipulations at these stages
24