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Memory Contrivances in Everyday Life

Hamilton College

Douglas J. Herrmann

Hamilton College

Phenomena of human memory traditionally have been explained in terms of memory processes. However, memory performance and the claims that people make about memory performance may also reflect social processes such as contriving to make a memory act appear different from what actually occurred The present research investigated the extent of the use of memory contrivances as reported on a questionnaire, Memory Use in Social Environments (MUSE). Factor analysis of the responses of the 92 subjects to the MUSE items identified the following eight forms of contrivances (listed in order from most to least used): ignoring another's remembering, excuses, self-deprecation self-enhancement, cover-ups for self-forgetfulness, politeness, insults and misevaluation. In a second study, 43 subjects identified the social goals underlying the eight contrivances. These results indicate a role for social processes in memory performance not recognized previously; the results also suggest specific ways in which cognitive performances can be represented in social interaction. Thus, the phenomena of memory contrivances have implications for the confluence of memory theory and social psychological theory in cognition.

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