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Understanding autobiographical memory content using computational text analysis

ABSTRACT Although research on autobiographical memory (AM) continues to grow, there remain few methods to analyze AM content. Past approaches are typically manual, and prohibitively time- and labour-intensive. These methodological limitations are concerning because content may provide insights into the nature and functions of AM. In particular, analyzing content in recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs; those that spring to mind unintentionally and repetitively) could resolve controversies about whether these memories typically involve mundane or distressing events. Here, we present computational methods that can analyze content in thousands of participants’ AMs, without needing to hand-code each memory. A sample of 6,187 undergraduates completed surveys about recurrent IAMs, resulting in 3,624 text descriptions. Using frequency analyses, we identified common (e.g., “time”, “friend”) and distinctive words in recurrent IAMs (e.g., “argument” as distinctive to negative recurrent IAMs). Using structural topic modelling, we identified coherent topics (e.g., “Negative past relationships”, “Conversations”, “Experiences with family members”) within recurrent IAMs and found that topic use significantly differed depending on the valence of these memories. Computational methods allowed us to analyze large quantities of AM content with enhanced granularity and reproducibility. We present the means to enable future research on AM content at an unprecedented scope and scale.