Retrieving Multiple Autobiographical Memories

Previous work suggests that different retrieval-order instructions might be differentially correlated with accuracy of retrieval of autobiographical memories. To test this hypothesis, two experiments were conducted, in which 322 undergraduate students were asked to recall information about examinations they had taken in an introductory psychology course. In Experiment 1, subjects tried to recall the exact dates of all the exams. They were instructed to recall in either a forward, a backward, or a free-recall order. Forward search led to less accurate recollection than did backward search and free recall. The majority of subjects in the free-recall condition retrieved exam dates in a backward direction, and those who did so were marginally more accurate than those who did not. In Experiment 2, subjects tried to recall the content of the first question on each of three exams. They recalled in either a forward or a backward order. Backward search again produced more accurate recollection. These results are discussed in terms of their theoretical implications regarding long-term memory retrieval and their practical applications to survey methodology.