Abstract

Conway and Pleydell-Pearce’s self-memory systemautobiographical memory serves current goals and identity; recall is reconstructive, not a fixed tape.

Conway, M. A., & Pleydell-Pearce, C. W. (2000). Psychological Review, 107(2), 261–288. DOI

Key findings

  • Self-memory system — Memory serves current self-goals — not neutral archive.
  • Working self — Active goals gate what enters and stays accessible.
  • Reconstructive recall — Remembering rebuilds the past — coherence over camera accuracy.
  • Storytelling link — Identity and narrative memory co-produce each other.

Limits

Synthesis review — strong map for the field, not one fresh trial; use for orientation before primary studies.