Autobiographical Memory and the Life Story

Christin Camia is Associate Professor at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi. She is recognized for her work on the development and stability of life stories throughout the lifespan, cross-cultural investigations on identity, and studies on the social and historical influences on autobiographical and collective memory. Annette Bohn is Associate Professor in Psychology at Aarhus University, Denmark, specializing in autobiographical memory research. She is best known for her studies on cultural life scripts in various unique populations and studies on the development of past and future life stories in children, including refugees and children with anxiety.

• 1. Introduction Christin Camia and Annette Bohn; Part I. How Research on Autobiographical Memory Contrasts with and Integrates the Life Story Approach: 2. Getting a life: a historical analysis Susan Bluck and Mary Kate Koch; 3. Building bridges: a narrative about two camps of autobiographical memory researchers William Hirst and Christin Camia; 4. The functional approach to autobiographical memory: retrospect and prospect; Part II. How The Environment of Autobiographical Memory Shapes the Life Story: 5. Conceptualizing cultural life scripts as master narratives: an underestimated tool to explore life stories Christin Camia and Annette Bohn; 6. The origins of adolescents' autobiographical memories and life stories in mother-child reminiscing Elaine Reese; 7. Other voices, other lives, and our own life stories Monisha Pasupathi; 8. Social support for causal coherence Azriel Grysman; 9. Agency and communion when remembering parents in young adulthood Kristina Klug, Christin Camia and Michael W. Pratt; 10. Vicarious life stories: concepts, findings, and social functions Dorthe Kirkegaard Thomsen and David B. Pillemer; Part III. How Deviating Autobiographical Memories Shape the Life Story: 11. Could life care contexts impact the adolescent's life narrative coherence? Data from a study encompassing paths of ruptures and adversity Margarida Rangel Henriques, Pedro Saraiva, Meritxell Pacheco, Isabel Peters and Márcia Almeida; 12. Narrative coherence and incoherence: individual, developmental and contextual factors Robyn Fivush; 13. Biographies in the name of God: exploring important autobiographical memories of members of Christian orders Tabea Wolf; 14. Cultural life scripts and life story events of cis-heterosexual and LGBQ individuals Deniz Asolar and Ali İ. Tekcan; 15. Narratives, perspective-taking and emotion regulation: obstacles and boosters to cope with child maltreatment Eleonora Bartoli and Mariam Fishere; 16. Life narratives and psychopathology: what life stories tell us about people experiencing mental disorders Mélissa C. Allé, Marie-Charlotte Gandolphe, Xavier Saloppé and Fabrice Berna; 17. Life stories are culturally mediated and socially constructed: future directions of life story research Tilmann Habermas.

'This book offers a compelling exploration of how autobiographical memory and life stories shape personal identity. It brings together leading scholars to bridge the gap between cognitive and narrative approaches, shedding light on the functions of memory, cultural influences, and the social dimensions of life storytelling. By integrating perspectives on master narratives, social support, and developmental trajectories, this book provides an essential resource for anyone interested in the intricate ways memory constructs and sustains our sense of self.' Mohamad El Haj, Full Professor, University of Nantes, France