David B Pillemer
Biographic Data
| ID | 5741571 |
|---|---|
| NAME | David B Pillemer |
| GIVEN NAMES | David B |
| FAMILY NAME | Pillemer |
| SIGNATURE | PILLEMER D B |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of New Hampshire |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3225-7794 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 6 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1984 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2023 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Adults’ memories of childhood cluster in the year of a residential move
When adults are asked to recall personal past events, transitional episodes occurring in late adolescence and early adulthood are especially likely to be remembered. In addition, recent research has shown that older adults' memories of middle adulthood tend to cluster around the transitional event of moving to a new residence. In the present research, adults recalled five memories of events that occurred between ages 7 and 13, and they subsequent…
Investigating the appraisal structure of spontaneous thoughts: Evidence for differences among unexpected thought, involuntary autobiographical memories, and ruminative thought
Involuntary thinking occurs when mental states arise without intention. Such thoughts can take different forms, such as involuntary autobiographical memories (IAM), ruminative thoughts, and unexpected thoughts—all of which are popular areas of study, albeit in somewhat disparate literatures. Despite these mental states sharing a common thread of feeling involuntary in nature, it is nevertheless unclear what separates them phenomenologically. We c…
A deeper dive into the reminiscence bump: Further evidence for the life script hypothesis
When older adults are asked to recall personal events that occurred at any point in their lives, memories from late adolescence and early adulthood are overrepresented, forming a reminiscence bump. Thematic analyses have indicated that the bump memories that emerge in response to such prompts frequently represent milestone events that are consistent with cultural life scripts. This study employed a novel method that explicitly targeted only memor…
Vicarious life stories: Examining relations to personal life stories and well-being
We examined relationships between vicarious life stories for mothers and distant others, personal life stories, and well-being. Participants described chapters in their mothers’ and personal life stories, self-rated chapters on emotional tone and meaning, and completed well-being measures. In Studies 3 and 4, participants described chapters for distant others. In Study 4, mothers’ personal life stories were collected. In Studies 2–4, chapters wer…
Writing about life story chapters increases self‐esteem: Three experimental studies
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present three studies was to examine experimentally whether writing about life story chapters would increase self-esteem, self-concept clarity, and meaning. METHOD: In study 1, 179 participants rated state self-esteem and self-concept clarity before and after they described either four important life story chapters or four famous Americans. In study 2, 141 new participants completed a similar procedure to study 1 and…
I Know My Story and I Know Your Story: Developing a Conceptual Framework for Vicarious Life Stories
Vicarious life stories are mental representations of other people's life stories. We propose a conceptual framework that situates the study of vicarious life stories at the crossroads between personality and social cognition, identifies their potential functions, and describes possible connections between vicarious and personal life stories. Two preliminary studies compared chapters and specific memories in personal and close others' life stories…
Development of the Life Story in Early Adolescence
Life span developmental psychology proposes that the ability to create a coherent life narrative does not develop until early adolescence. Using a novel methodology, 10-, 12-, and 14-year-old participants were asked to tell their life stories aloud to a researcher. Later, participants separated their transcribed narratives into self-identified chapters. When life stories were assessed with measures of temporal and causal coherence, most participa…
Vicarious memories
People not only have vivid memories of their own personal experiences, but also vicarious memories of events that happened to other people. To compare the phenomenological and functional qualities of personal and vicarious memories, college students described a specific past event that they had recounted to a parent or friend, and also an event that a friend or parent had recounted to them. Although ratings of memory vividness, emotional intensit…
The effects of documentation on young children’s memory
Directive functions of autobiographical memory: The guiding power of the specific episode
Vivid memories of personal experiences provide models for present activities and contribute to successful problem solving and adaptation. The memories serve important directive functions: they inform, guide, motivate, and inspire. Yet directive functions have received less emphasis in the research literature than social or self functions. Explanations for this relative neglect are explored. Case studies and systematic research illustrate the prom…
Momentous Events and the Life Story
Memories of specific life episodes, termed personal event memories, have only recently become a focus of systematic research. In this article, memories of momentous events are analyzed from a functional perspective. First, personal event memory is defined. Second, research on the temporal organization of specific memories across the life span is described. Third, psychological functions served by remembering momentous events are illustrated. Four…
Momentous Events, Vivid Memories: How Unforgettable Moments Help Us Understand the Meaning of Our Lives
Momentous Events, Vivid Memories
Pillemer draws on a variety of evidence and methods—cognitive and developmental psychology, cross-cultural study, psychotherapy case studies, autobiographies and diaries—to extend the current study of narrative and specific memory.
Chapters in Narratives: Evidence From Oral Histories of the First Year in College
Thirty college students provided 20-min oral accounts of their first year in college. One week later, each participant divided a typed transcript of his or her memory narrative into self-defined chapters. Two independent coders also "chapterized" all 30 narratives according to their own self-defined criteria. There was considerable agreement among coders and participants in both the number of chapters per narrative and the location of chapter bre…
One- Versus Two-Tailed Hypothesis Tests in Contemporary Educational Research
The choice of a one- rather than a two-tailed hypothesis testing strategy can influence research outcomes, but information about the type of test conducted is rarely reported in articles appearing in educational and psychological journals. Because unambiguous standards for using one- and two-tailed tests do not exist, complete reporting of hypothesis testing procedures is essential. In addition, educational researchers need to reevaluate the deci…
Summing Up: The Science of Reviewing Research
Summing up: The Science of Reviewing Research
How can a scientist or policy analyst summarize and evaluate what is already known about a particular topic? This book offers practical guidance.The amount and diversity of information generated by academic and policy researchers in the contemporary world is staggering. How is an investigator to cope with the tens or even hundreds of studies on a particular problem? How can conflicting findings be reconciled? Richard Light and David Pillemer have…
Summing up: The Science of Reviewing Research
Summing Up: The Science of Reviewing Research
Development of the Life Story in Early Adolescence
Life span developmental psychology proposes that the ability to create a coherent life narrative does not develop until early adolescence. Using a novel methodology, 10-, 12-, and 14-year-old participants were asked to tell their life stories aloud to a researcher. Later, participants separated their transcribed narratives into self-identified chapters. When life stories were assessed with measures of temporal and causal coherence, most participa…
One- Versus Two-Tailed Hypothesis Tests in Contemporary Educational Research
The choice of a one- rather than a two-tailed hypothesis testing strategy can influence research outcomes, but information about the type of test conducted is rarely reported in articles appearing in educational and psychological journals. Because unambiguous standards for using one- and two-tailed tests do not exist, complete reporting of hypothesis testing procedures is essential. In addition, educational researchers need to reevaluate the deci…
Vicarious life stories: Examining relations to personal life stories and well-being
We examined relationships between vicarious life stories for mothers and distant others, personal life stories, and well-being. Participants described chapters in their mothers’ and personal life stories, self-rated chapters on emotional tone and meaning, and completed well-being measures. In Studies 3 and 4, participants described chapters for distant others. In Study 4, mothers’ personal life stories were collected. In Studies 2–4, chapters wer…
The effects of documentation on young children’s memory
Summing Up: The Science of Reviewing Research
Summing up: The Science of Reviewing Research
Summing Up: The Science of Reviewing Research
Summing up: The Science of Reviewing Research
How can a scientist or policy analyst summarize and evaluate what is already known about a particular topic? This book offers practical guidance.The amount and diversity of information generated by academic and policy researchers in the contemporary world is staggering. How is an investigator to cope with the tens or even hundreds of studies on a particular problem? How can conflicting findings be reconciled? Richard Light and David Pillemer have…
Chapters in Narratives: Evidence From Oral Histories of the First Year in College
Thirty college students provided 20-min oral accounts of their first year in college. One week later, each participant divided a typed transcript of his or her memory narrative into self-defined chapters. Two independent coders also "chapterized" all 30 narratives according to their own self-defined criteria. There was considerable agreement among coders and participants in both the number of chapters per narrative and the location of chapter bre…
One- Versus Two-Tailed Hypothesis Tests in Contemporary Educational Research
The choice of a one- rather than a two-tailed hypothesis testing strategy can influence research outcomes, but information about the type of test conducted is rarely reported in articles appearing in educational and psychological journals. Because unambiguous standards for using one- and two-tailed tests do not exist, complete reporting of hypothesis testing procedures is essential. In addition, educational researchers need to reevaluate the deci…
Momentous Events, Vivid Memories
Pillemer draws on a variety of evidence and methods—cognitive and developmental psychology, cross-cultural study, psychotherapy case studies, autobiographies and diaries—to extend the current study of narrative and specific memory.
Momentous Events, Vivid Memories: How Unforgettable Moments Help Us Understand the Meaning of Our Lives
Momentous Events and the Life Story
Memories of specific life episodes, termed personal event memories, have only recently become a focus of systematic research. In this article, memories of momentous events are analyzed from a functional perspective. First, personal event memory is defined. Second, research on the temporal organization of specific memories across the life span is described. Third, psychological functions served by remembering momentous events are illustrated. Four…
Directive functions of autobiographical memory: The guiding power of the specific episode
Vivid memories of personal experiences provide models for present activities and contribute to successful problem solving and adaptation. The memories serve important directive functions: they inform, guide, motivate, and inspire. Yet directive functions have received less emphasis in the research literature than social or self functions. Explanations for this relative neglect are explored. Case studies and systematic research illustrate the prom…
The effects of documentation on young children’s memory
Vicarious memories
People not only have vivid memories of their own personal experiences, but also vicarious memories of events that happened to other people. To compare the phenomenological and functional qualities of personal and vicarious memories, college students described a specific past event that they had recounted to a parent or friend, and also an event that a friend or parent had recounted to them. Although ratings of memory vividness, emotional intensit…
Development of the Life Story in Early Adolescence
Life span developmental psychology proposes that the ability to create a coherent life narrative does not develop until early adolescence. Using a novel methodology, 10-, 12-, and 14-year-old participants were asked to tell their life stories aloud to a researcher. Later, participants separated their transcribed narratives into self-identified chapters. When life stories were assessed with measures of temporal and causal coherence, most participa…
I Know My Story and I Know Your Story: Developing a Conceptual Framework for Vicarious Life Stories
Vicarious life stories are mental representations of other people's life stories. We propose a conceptual framework that situates the study of vicarious life stories at the crossroads between personality and social cognition, identifies their potential functions, and describes possible connections between vicarious and personal life stories. Two preliminary studies compared chapters and specific memories in personal and close others' life stories…
Writing about life story chapters increases self‐esteem: Three experimental studies
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present three studies was to examine experimentally whether writing about life story chapters would increase self-esteem, self-concept clarity, and meaning. METHOD: In study 1, 179 participants rated state self-esteem and self-concept clarity before and after they described either four important life story chapters or four famous Americans. In study 2, 141 new participants completed a similar procedure to study 1 and…
Vicarious life stories: Examining relations to personal life stories and well-being
We examined relationships between vicarious life stories for mothers and distant others, personal life stories, and well-being. Participants described chapters in their mothers’ and personal life stories, self-rated chapters on emotional tone and meaning, and completed well-being measures. In Studies 3 and 4, participants described chapters for distant others. In Study 4, mothers’ personal life stories were collected. In Studies 2–4, chapters wer…
A deeper dive into the reminiscence bump: Further evidence for the life script hypothesis
When older adults are asked to recall personal events that occurred at any point in their lives, memories from late adolescence and early adulthood are overrepresented, forming a reminiscence bump. Thematic analyses have indicated that the bump memories that emerge in response to such prompts frequently represent milestone events that are consistent with cultural life scripts. This study employed a novel method that explicitly targeted only memor…
Adults’ memories of childhood cluster in the year of a residential move
When adults are asked to recall personal past events, transitional episodes occurring in late adolescence and early adulthood are especially likely to be remembered. In addition, recent research has shown that older adults' memories of middle adulthood tend to cluster around the transitional event of moving to a new residence. In the present research, adults recalled five memories of events that occurred between ages 7 and 13, and they subsequent…
Investigating the appraisal structure of spontaneous thoughts: Evidence for differences among unexpected thought, involuntary autobiographical memories, and ruminative thought
Involuntary thinking occurs when mental states arise without intention. Such thoughts can take different forms, such as involuntary autobiographical memories (IAM), ruminative thoughts, and unexpected thoughts—all of which are popular areas of study, albeit in somewhat disparate literatures. Despite these mental states sharing a common thread of feeling involuntary in nature, it is nevertheless unclear what separates them phenomenologically. We c…
Psychology (16 works) · Identity, Memory, and Therapy (10 works) · Developmental psychology (7 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Cognitive psychology (6 works) · Memory Processes and Influences (6 works) · Autobiographical memory (5 works) · Art (4 works) · Cognition (4 works) · Computer Science (4 works)