The cognitive neuroscience of constructive memory: remembering the past and imagining the future
Harvard University · Massachusetts General Hospital · +1 more institution
Abstract
Episodic memory is widely conceived as a fundamentally constructive, rather than reproductive, process that is prone to various kinds of errors and illusions. With a view towards examining the functions served by a constructive episodic memory system, we consider recent neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies indicating that some types of memory distortions reflect the operation of adaptive processes. An important function of a constructive episodic memory is to allow individuals to simulate or imagine future episodes, happenings and scenarios. Since the future is not an exact repetition of the past, simulation of future episodes requires a system that can draw on the past in a manner that flexibly…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 23.79
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 127
Authors
2Topics & keywords
- Constructive
- Episodic memory
- Cognitive science
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Cognition
- Neuroimaging
- Reconstructive memory
- Gender equality