Visual object imagery and autobiographical memory: object imagers are better at remembering their personal past

In the present study we examined whether higher levels of object imagery, a stable characteristic that reflects the ability and preference in generating pictorial mental images of objects, facilitate involuntary and voluntary retrieval of autobiographical memories (ABMs). Individuals with high (High-OI) and low (Low-OI) levels of object imagery were asked to perform an involuntary and a voluntary ABM task in the laboratory. Results showed that High-OI participants generated more involuntary and voluntary ABMs than Low-OI, with faster retrieval times. High-OI also reported more detailed memories compared to Low-OI and retrieved memories as visual images. Theoretical implications of these findings for research on voluntary and involuntary ABMs are discussed

Manipulating cues in involuntary autobiographical memory: verbal cues are more effective than pictorial cues

In two experiments, pictorial cues were compared with their verbal labels to assess their effectiveness in eliciting involuntary autobiographical memories. Cues were relatively complex in Experiment 1 (e.g., relaxing on a beach) and simple objects in Experiment 2 (e.g., a ball). In both experiments, participants went through a vigilance task in which they were presented with frequent nontarget and rare target visual stimuli. Pictures or their corresponding verbal labels were also displayed on both target and nontarget stimuli, but participants were told that these were irrelevant to the task. They were asked to interrupt the vigilance task whenever they became aware of task-unrelated mental contents and to report them. In both experiments, more involuntary memories were elicited in the verbal cue condition, rather than in the pictorial cue condition. This result is discussed in relation to previous work that highlighted the greater effectiveness of verbal cues in memory tasks

L'escola normal de la postguerra

Abstract not availabl

Literatura tradicional, escola i territori

Dans cet artiele, I'auteur propose la récupération et l'incorporation à l'école de ce qu'il appelle "littérature traditionnelle" c'est s dire la littérature transmise oralement, a I'écart de toute manipulation romantique et bourpeoise. Etant donnees la valeur symbolique de la langue et ses possibilités didactiques pour développer l'imagination des enfants, et tenant compte du fait que le langage fait partie de l'écosysteme, le professeur Janer Manila presente un modele vraiment alternatif, qui récupere une grande partie de la tradition orale avec l'intention d'affronter les courants actuels de style autiste qui dominent malheureusement la société industrielle.In this article the author proposes the recovery and incoporation into the school of what he calls "traditional literature", orally transmitted folk literature, apart from any type of romantic, bourgeois manipulation. Given the symbolic value of language, its didactic possibilities for developing children's imaginations, and considering that language is palt of the ecosystem, professor Janer Manila presents a model -certainly an altemative- that recoups a major part of the oral tradition for purposes of standing up to current trends of an autistic cut that, unfortunately, dominate our industrial society.En este artículo el autor nos propone la recuperación e incorporación a la escuela de lo que llama "'literatura tradicional" es decir, aquella literatura popular transmitida oralment, alejada de cualquier tipo de manipulación romántica y burguesa. Dado el valor simbólico de la lengua, y sus posibilidades didácticas para desarrollar la imaginación de los niños, y considerando que el lenguaje forma parte del ecosistema, el profesor Janer Manila nos presenta un modelo, ciertamente altemativo, recuperado buena parte de la tradición oral con la intención de hacer frente a las corrientes actuales de corte autista que desgraciadamente dominan la sociedad industria

L'esperit de la Mediterrània a la literatura infantil i juvenil

Abstract not availabl

L'essencial no és avaluable

Abstract not availabl

Why are we not flooded by involuntary autobiographical memories? Few cues are more effective than many

Recent research on involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs) has shown that these memories can be elicited and studied in the laboratory under controlled conditions. Employing a modified version of a vigilance task developed by Schlagman and Kvavilashvili (Mem Cogn 36:920–932, 2008) to elicit IAMs, we investigated the effects of varying the frequency of external cues on the number of IAMs reported. During the vigilance task, participants had to detect an occasional target stimulus (vertical lines) in a constant stream of non-target stimuli (horizontal lines). Participants had to interrupt the task whenever they became aware of any task-unrelated mental contents and to report them. In addition to line patterns, participants were exposed to verbal cues and their frequency was experimentally manipulated in three conditions (frequent cues vs. infrequent cues vs. infrequent cues plus arithmetic operations). We found that, compared to infrequent cues, both conditions with frequent cues and infrequent cues plus arithmetic operations decreased the number of IAMs reported. The comparison between the three experimental conditions suggests that this reduction was due to the greater cognitive load in conditions of frequent cues and infrequent cue plus arithmetic operations. Possible mechanisms involved in this effect and their implications for research on IAMs are discussed