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Cultural Effects on Memory Perspective

Studies have shown that culture can affect the point of view autobiographical memory is recalled in. People living in Eastern cultures are more likely to recall memories through an observer perspective than those living in Western cultures. Also, in Eastern cultures, situation plays a larger role in determining the perspective of memory recall than in Western cultures. Easterners are more likely than Westerners to use observer perspective when remembering events where they are at the center of attention.

There are many reasons for these differences in autobiographical perspective across different cultures. While many cultural variables, like uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and power distance, contribute to shaping one's memory perspective, the biggest factor in shaping memory perspective is individualism. The sense of one's self is important in deciding whether autobiographical memories are recalled in observer or field point of view. Because the many factors that affect the way someone views themself vary across cultures, the perspective of a person’s autobiographical memory changes across culture. Western society has been found to be more individualistic, with people being more independent and stressing less importance on familial ties or the approval of others. People in Eastern cultures are thought of as less individualistic, focusing less on the individual self and more on maintaining family relationships and acceptance. The way people in different cultures perceive the emotions of the people around them also play a role in shaping the recall perspective of memories. Westerners are said to have a more inside-out view of the world, and unknowingly project their current emotions onto the world around them. This practice is called egocentric projection. For example, when a person is feeling guilty about something he or she did earlier, he or she will perceive the people them as also feeling guilty. On the other hand, Easterners have a more outside-in view of the world, perceiving the people around them as having complementary emotions to their own. With an outside-in view, someone who was feeling guilt would imagine the people around him or her looking upon them with scorn or disgust. These different perceptions across cultures of how one is viewed by others leads to different amounts of field or observer recall.

Affects of Gender on Autobiographical Memory Perspective

Women on average report more memories in the observer perspective than men do. A theory for this phenomenon is that women are more conscious about their personal appearance. Social and cultural expectations have created a society where women are far more objectified than men are. In situations where one’s physical appearance and actions are important, for example, giving a speech in front of an audience, the memory of that situation will likely be remembered in the observer perspective. This is due to the general trend that when the focus of a person’s memory is on himself or herself, he or she will likely see themself from someone else’s point of view. This is because the person either is conscious about the way they are presenting themself and unintentionally try to picture how others perceive them, or in the case of a negative experience, he or she uses the observer point to distance themselves from their "old" self that did something embarrassing or contradictory with their current beliefs. Since women feel more objectified, they tend to recall more memories in the third person. Studies also show that events with greater social interaction and significance produce more observer memories in women than events with low/no social interaction or significance. Observer perspective in men was generally unaffected by the type of event.

How Changes in Personal Identity Affects Memory Perspective

People who picture their past self as different or conflicting with their current self often recall memories of their old self using observer perspective. People that have undergone some kind of change often look upon their past self (prior to the change) as if they were a completely different person. These drastic personal changes include things like graduating, getting over an addiction, entering or leaving prison, getting diagnosed with cancer, losing weight, and any other major life events. There is a split between the present self that is remembering and the past self that is remembered (Reed, 1994). People who use observer perspective to remember their old self believe that they are less likely to revert back to their old self. It is believed that when memories are recalled from the observer perspective, it helps preserve one’s self image and self esteem. Someone remembering a traumatic or embarrassing event from a third person perspective helps detach that person from that negative event, as if they were not the one experiencing it, but rather someone else. Given the distancing nature of observer perspective, it also results in a worse sense of self-continuity.

Involuntary Memory and Perspective

There is no difference in field-observer perspective frequency between voluntary and involuntary autobiographical memories.

Effects of Traumatic Memory

People tend to remember traumatic memories using observer point of view. There are many possible reasons for this. First, events high in emotional content (ex: Vietnam War) are naturally more likely to be remembered using observer perspective while events low in emotional content (ex: driving to work) are likely to be in field perspective. Secondly, and the most likely reason, is that the observer point of view distances the person from the traumatic event, allowing them to recall the specifics and details of the event without having to relive the feelings and emotions. Because field perspective focuses on the physical/psychological feelings experienced at the time of the event, which can prove too difficult for many people recall. The observer perspective tends to focus more on the physical appearance of one’s self, along with the spatial relations and peripheral details of the scene, which allows people to remember the specifics and important facts of their traumatic experience, without reliving most of the pain. (Rozett, 1986) When PTSD patients were asked to recall their traumatic experience, 89 percent of those who used observer perspective to recall the traumatic event said they did so because it was emotionally easier and spared them from reliving the horror of their traumatic event. Although this is a useful coping mechanism, some argue that effective treatment of PTSD requires the patient to re-experience the emotions and fear from that traumatic event so that it can be processed into something less distressing. The short-term relief observer perspective provides may impede long-term recovery. (Lang 1979)

Sources:

Source 1: Accuracy and perspective in involuntary autobiographical memory.

Source 2: Individualism and cultural influences on viewpoint.

Source 3: Gender differences in memory perspectives.

Source 4: Effect of memory perspective on assessments of personal change.

Source 5: Changes in self-concept alter perspective in autobiographical memory.

Source 6: trauma

Source 7: culture

Source 8: Book, 2ndary

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