Special Issue: Memory

Title: The Costs and Benefits of Finding Meaning in the Past

Guest Editors: Kate McLean & Andrea Greenhoot

Call for papers:

Theoretical approaches to narrative processing, and some empirical work, suggest that the

construction of meaningful and coherent accounts of personal experiences, especially those that are negative, is adaptive. However, emerging evidence suggests that narrative meaning construction does not always yield psychological benefits; indeed, sometimes it is associated with increased psychological distress. We are seeking contributions for a special issue of Memory that examine the potential benefits and costs of making meaning of autobiographical memories. We are interested in a wide range of contributions, including laboratory, experimental, and qualitative work, as well as theoretical analyses, on diverse topics such as developmental considerations, contexts of meaning making, or measurement factors, to answer questions about when (and why) meaning-making in personal recollections is beneficial and when (and why) it is not.

Submission:

Manuscripts should be submitted by September 30th, 2011

Interested individuals should submit their manuscripts through the ScholarOne Manuscripts website: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/pmem, and note that the submission is intended for the special issue on Costs and Benefits of Finding Meaning in the Past. All manuscripts will be subject to editorial and peer-review before acceptance for the special issue.

For further information, or if you have any questions on whether your work is appropriate for the special issue, contact the guest editors: Andrea Greenhoot (agreenhoot@ku.edu) and Kate McLean (Kate.McLean@wwu.edu).