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Updated: Jan 16, 2026
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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection
Published on: August 26, 2011
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Testing order effects in autobiographical memory research.
Igor Sotgiu1, Stefania Consonni2, Davide Marengo3
1Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.
Memory (Hove, England)
|September 25, 2025
Summary
The order of memory tasks impacts autobiographical memory narratives. Completing questionnaires before writing about an event led to longer, more detailed narratives, but with less emotional content.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Studies
Background:
- Autobiographical memory recall is influenced by various factors.
- The sequence of memory assessment tools may affect participant responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of administration order of memory assessment instruments on autobiographical memory responses.
- To determine if narrative recall or questionnaire completion should precede the other for optimal assessment.
Main Methods:
- A between-subjects experimental design was used with two groups of undergraduates.
- The 'narrative-first' group wrote about an event then completed questionnaires.
- The 'questionnaire-first' group completed questionnaires then wrote about an event.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in questionnaire-derived autobiographical memory measures or narrative organization.
- Participants in the 'questionnaire-first' group produced longer narratives with more details.
- The 'questionnaire-first' group used a lower percentage of words indicating affective processes in their narratives.
Conclusions:
- The order of tasks in autobiographical memory assessment can influence narrative characteristics.
- Future research should explore the mechanisms behind these observed differences in narrative detail and affect.
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