Personal and vicarious autobiographical memories of immoral actions and the self

Moore, Leanne (2018) Personal and vicarious autobiographical memories of immoral actions and the self. Leeds Beckett University. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Previous research shows that for autobiographical memories of immoral actions, people tend to judge their own actions as less morally wrong and negative than actions in which others lied to them. Additionally, people tend to judge events that are further in the past as more morally wrong and negative than recent events. However, this only accounts for personal memories. We not only form and retain personal experiences, but the experiences encountered by others (vicarious memories). Studies have indicated similarities between personal and vicarious memories such that the present study aims to build upon existing research and explore these similarities in the context of morality. Twenty participants recalled six memories of lying from three different perspectives; actor, recipient and vicarious and the data was sampled from two temporal distances for each perspective; recent and distant. Each memory was followed by a series of associated ratings for phenomenological and functional qualities. Results show that for memories of lying, people judge their own behaviours as less morally wrong and less negative than when others have lied to them and when someone has lied to a friend or family member. Results found no significant effect for temporal distance. Phenomenological and functional qualities of vicarious memories closely resembled those of personal memories demonstrating that vicarious memories may in fact influence the construction of one’s self-identity over time. These findings are discussed in relation to existing research in the field of autobiographical memory, moral psychology and vicarious memory.