Momentous Events, Vivid Memories

Experimental memory studies have long been part of empirical psychology, yet psychotherapy has focused on repressed or traumatizing memories. This title looks at the fact that relatively little attention has been paid to the inspiring, touching or amusing moments that highlight most lives.

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The bombing of Pearl Harbour, the assassination of President Kennedy, the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger: every generation has unforgettable events, the shared memory of which can create fleeting intimacy among strangers. These public memories, combined with poignant personal moments - the first day of college, a baseball game with one's father, praise from a mentor - are the critical events of individual lives. Experimental memory studies have long been part of empirical psychology, yet psychotherapy has focused on repressed or traumatizing memories, with relatively little attention has been paid to the inspiring, touching, amusing, or revealing moments that highlight most lives. What makes something unforgettable? How do we learn to share the significance of memories? David Pillemer's book seeks to extend the study of narrative and specific memory, drawing upon a variety of evidence and methods, including: cognitive and developmental psychology; cross-cultural study; psychotherapy case studies; and autobiographies and diares.