978 - 1 - 107 - 03987 - 2 - Clinical Perspectives on Autobiographical Memory Edited by Lynn

It is human nature to think and reflect on our own personal past. Prior to the emergence of psychology as a scientific discipline, the study of personal recollections was conducted in the form of autobiographies, biographies, photography, and the writings of historians and philosophers. Today, through the use of social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, our need to record and share events from our own lives is more evident than ever. What stands out about our interest in autobiographical memory within the discipline of psychology is that, as psychologists, we are dedicated to using the scientific method to systematically investigate the mechanisms, characteristics, and functions of recalling past events in order to understand how and why our autobiographical memories play such an important role in daily functioning. Within clinical psychology our focus is even more specific. We want to understand how autobiographical memories are altered during psychopathology and to what extent these changes contribute to the onset and maintenance of clinical disorders. A central focus of this research endeavor is to facilitate prevention and treatment development. In clinical psychology there is a strong tradition for investigating changes in autobiographical memory as a function of psychopathology. Central aims have been to understand the mechanisms underlying autobiographical memory disturbances in different clinical populations and to develop appropriate evidence-based treatments for autobiographical memory deficits and psychopathology. Cognitive psychologists, on the other hand, have typically investigated autobiographical memory during healthy cognition with the goal of understanding the basic structures and processes in autobiographical remembering more broadly. Nonetheless, there are a number of important similarities between the two approaches.