A characteristic feature of the aging process is a decline in episodic memory, that form of memory related to a particular time and place in an individual s personal history. This volume gathers together articles by leaders in the field exploring aging and episodic memory in healthy adults. These articles provide interesting and novel findings on different aspects of episodic memory, including patterns of decline and sparing, heterogeneity in older adults memory performance, and cognitive and non-cognitive factors that potentially improve older adults memory performance. This volume presents a state of the art account of episodic memory function in older adults.

Working memory refers to the temporary storage and manipulation of information that is being processed in a wide range of cognitive tasks.
This Special Issue of the International Journal of Behavioral Development brings together research on the development of working memory that arises within two quite different approaches. The first is the neo-Piagetian perspective, which proposes that working memory limitations play an important role in the development of cognitive abilities. Accordingly, a major goal of neo-Piagetian research has been to develop techniques for measuring the capacity of working memory and to chart its development. Papers by Alp, de Ribaupierre and Bailleux, Morra, and Pascual-Leone, illustrate different facets of this approach.
The second approach stems from the study of working memory and information-processing in mainstream cognitive psychology, which has suggested the need to distinguish relatively peripheral phonological and visuo-spatial subsystems from central resources. Since these subsystems are currently better understood than the central component of adult working memory, they have tended to be the focus of related developmental studies. This tendency is illustrated in papers on visuo-spatial working memory by Longoni and by Walker and Hitch, and on phonological working memory by Henry.
A further significant strand of research in both approaches, is to investigate links between the development of working memory and various aspects of cognitive development; this type of work is illustrated in the papers by Blake on language acquisition and by Siegel on reading. Although the two approaches have tended to remain rather separate, their complementarity is fairly obvious: one has tended to emphasise central aspects of working memory, the other more peripheral aspects.
This special issue is intended to promote the exchange of ideas, methods and data between researchers using the two approaches, and to identify areas of conflicts and agreements.

The fully updated eighth edition of Cognitive Psychology: A Student’s Handbook provides comprehensive yet accessible coverage of all the key areas in the field ranging from visual perception and attention through to memory and language. Each chapter is complete with key definitions, practical real-life applications, chapter summaries and suggested further reading to help students develop an understanding of this fascinating but complex field.

The new edition includes:

an increased emphasis on neuroscience

updated references to reflect the latest research

applied ‘in the real world’ case studies and examples.

Widely regarded as the leading undergraduate textbook in the field of cognitive psychology, this new edition comes complete with an enhanced accompanying companion website. The website includes a suite of learning resources including simulation experiments, multiple-choice questions, and access to Primal Pictures’ interactive 3D atlas of the brain. The companion website can be accessed at: www.routledge.com/cw/eysenck.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations

Preface

Visual tour (how to use this book)

1 Approaches to human cognition

Introduction

Cognitive psychology

Cognitive neuropsychology

Cognitive neuroscience: the brain in action

Computational cognitive science

Comparisons of major approaches

Is there a replication crisis?

Outline of this book

Chapter summary

Further reading

PART I: Visual perception and attention

2 Basic processes in visual perception

Introduction

Vision and the brain

Two visual systems: perception-action model

Colour vision

Depth perception

Perception without awareness: subliminal perception

Chapter summary

Further reading

3 Object and face recognition

Introduction

Pattern recognition

Perceptual organisation

Approaches to object recognition

Object recognition: top-down processes

Face recognition

Visual imagery

Chapter summary

Further reading

4 Motion perception and action

Introduction

Direct perception

Visually guided movement

Visually guided action: contemporary approaches

Perception of human motion

Change blindness

Chapter summary

Further reading

5 Attention and performance

Introduction

Focused auditory attention

Focused visual attention

Disorders of visual attention

Visual search

Cross-modal effects

Divided attention: dual-task performance

“Automatic” processing

Chapter summary

Further reading

PART II: Memory

6 Learning, memory and forgetting

Introduction

Short-term vs long-term memory

Working memory: Baddeley and Hitch

Working memory: individual differences and executive functions

Levels of processing (and beyond)

Learning through retrieval

Implicit learning

Forgetting from long-term memory

Chapter summary

Further reading

7 Long-term memory systems

Introduction

Declarative memory

Episodic memory

Semantic memory

Non-declarative memory

Beyond memory systems and declarative vs non-declarative memory

Chapter summary

Further reading

8 Everyday memory

Introduction

Autobiographical memory: introduction

Memories across the lifetime

Theoretical approaches to autobiographical memory

Eyewitness testimony

Enhancing eyewitness memory

Prospective memory

Theoretical perspectives on prospective memory

Chapter summary

Further reading

PART III: Language

9 Speech perception and reading

Introduction

Speech (and music) perception

Listening to speech

Context effects

Theories of speech perception

Cognitive neuropsychology

Reading: introduction

Word recognition

Reading aloud

Reading: eye-movement research

Chapter summary

Further reading

10 Language comprehension

Introduction

Parsing: overview

Theoretical approaches: parsing and prediction

Pragmatics

Individual differences: working memory capacity

Discourse processing: inferences

Discourse comprehension: theoretical approaches

Chapter summary

Further reading

11 Language production

Introduction

Basic aspects of speech production

Speech planning

Speech errors

Theories of speech production

Cognitive neuropsychology: speech production

Speech as communication

Writing: the main processes

Spelling

Chapter summary

Further reading

PART IV: Thinking and reasoning

12 Problem solving and expertise

Introduction

Problem solving: introduction

Gestalt approach and beyond: insight and role of experience

Problem-solving strategies

Analogical problem solving and reasoning

Expertise

Chess-playing expertise

Medical expertise

Brain plasticity

Deliberate practice and beyond

Chapter summary

Further reading

13 Judgement and decision-making

Introduction

Judgement research

Theories of judgement

Decision-making under risk

Decision-making: emotional and social factors

Applied and complex decision-making

Chapter summary

Further reading

14 Reasoning and hypothesis testing

Introduction

Hypothesis testing

Deductive reasoning

Theories of “deductive” reasoning

Brain systems in reasoning

Informal reasoning

Are humans rational?

Chapter summary

Further reading

PART V: Broadening horizons

15 Cognition and emotion

Introduction

Appraisal theories

Emotion regulation

Affect and cognition: attention and memory

Affect and cognition: judgement and decision-making

Judgement and decision-making: theoretical approaches

Anxiety, depression and cognitive biases

Cognitive bias modification and beyond

Chapter summary

Further reading

16 Consciousness

Introduction

Functions of consciousness

Assessing consciousness and conscious experience

Global workspace and global neuronal workspace theories

Is consciousness unitary?

Chapter summary

Further reading

Glossary

References

Author index

Subject index

"The Handbook of Eyewitness Psychology "presents a survey of research and  legal opinions from international experts on the rapidly expanding scientific literature addressing the accuracy and limitations of eyewitnesses as a source of evidence for the courts. For the first time, extensive reviews of factors influencing witnesses of all ages-children, adults, and the elderly-are compiled in a single pair of volumes. The disparate research currently being conducted in eyewitness memory in psychology, criminal justice, and legal studies is coherently presented in this work.
 
Controversial topics such as the use of hypnosis, false and recovered memories, the impact of stress, and the accuracy of psychologically impaired witnesses are expertly examined. Leading eyewitness researchers also discuss the subjects of conversational memory, alibi evidence, witness credibility, facial memory, earwitness testimony, lineup theory, and expert testimony. The impact of witness testimony in court is considered, and each volume concludes with a legal commentary chapter.
 
"The Handbook of Eyewitness Psychology "is an invaluable aid to researchers, legal scholars, and practicing lawyers who need access to the most recent research in the field, accompanied by the interpretations and commentary of many of the world's leading authorities on these topics.

"The Handbook of Eyewitness Psychology "presents a survey of research and legal opinions from international experts on the rapidly expanding scientific literature addressing the accuracy and limitations of eyewitnesses as a source of evidence for the courts. For the first time, extensive reviews of factors influencing witnesses of all ages-children, adults, and the elderly-are compiled in a single pair of volumes. The disparate research currently being conducted in eyewitness memory in psychology, criminal justice, and legal studies is coherently presented in this work.
Controversial topics such as the use of hypnosis, false and recovered memories, the impact of stress, and the accuracy of psychologically impaired witnesses are expertly examined. Leading eyewitness researchers also discuss the subjects of conversational memory, alibi evidence, witness credibility, facial memory, earwitness testimony, lineup theory, and expert testimony. The impact of witness testimony in court is considered, and each volume concludes with a legal commentary chapter.
"The Handbook of Eyewitness Psychology "is an invaluable aid to researchers, legal scholars, and practicing lawyers who need access to the most recent research in the field, accompanied by the interpretations and commentary of many of the world's leading authorities on these topics.

Cognitive Rehabilitation of Memory: A Clinical-Neuropsychological Introduction comprehensively reviews evidence-based research for each clinical tool, defining guidelines on how to assess patients and set treatment goals and best practices for creating individualized rehabilitation programs. The book also provides essential background knowledge on the nature and causes of memory impairment. Dr. Helmut Hildebrandt describes a wide range of interventions, including memory aids, learning strategies and non-cognitive treatment options

For more than 30 years, renowned psychological scientist Elizabeth F. Loftus has contributed groundbreaking research to the fields of science, law, and academia. This book provides an opportunity for readers to become better acquainted with one of the most important psychologists of our time, as it celebrates her life and accomplishments. It is intended to be a working text-one that challenges, intrigues, and inspires all readers alike. Do Justice and Let the Sky Fall collects research in theoretical and applied areas of human memory, provides an overview of the application of memory research to legal problems, and presents an introduction to the costs of doing controversial research. The first chapter gives a sketch of Loftus' career in her own words, and the remaining chapters color in that sketch. The final chapters of the book are more personal, and put a human face on a person who is held in such high esteem. This multipurpose volume is intended to serve as a valuable resource for established scientists, emerging scientists, graduate students, lawyers, and health professionals.

The purpose of Remembering the Times of Our Lives: Memory in Infancy and Beyond is to trace the development from infancy through adulthood in the capacity to form, retain, and later retrieve autobiographical or personal memories.

It is appropriate for scholars and researchers in the fields of cognitive psychology, memory, infancy, and human development.

This text celebrates the fourth Tsukuba International Conference on Memory (Tic4) held in January of 2003, by setting forth productive directions for memory researchers and human learning theorists around the world. It presents fascinating perspectives on progress, and future prospects for models, theories, and hypotheses authors developed, including several new, never published experimental results. Contributors include the winner of the 1997 U.S. Congressional Medal of Science--William K. Estes--who graced the text by penning the forward. The three full day presentations of Tic4 included presentations by 225 experts, represented by 73 universities from countries on four continents: Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. "Human Learning and Memory" presents 11 chapters by invited speakers, and its appendices include titles of all papers accepted for Tic4 presentations, as well as a background introduction to Japanese cultures, relevant to Tic4 experiences.
This book appeals to scholars, researchers, and teachers in the fields of human learning and memory, cognition, language learning, and educational psychology (theoretical, empirical, and applied dimensions). It can also be used as a textbook for both advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in these domains, either as required or recommended reading.

Focusing on the "long" nineteenth century, from the French Revolution to the beginnings of Modernism, this book examines the significance of memory in this era of turbulent social change. Through investigation of science, literature, history and the visual arts, the authors explore theories of memory and the cultural and literary resonances of memorializing.
Drawing on the work of many of the most influential literary figures of the period, such as Tennyson, Scott, and Hardy, "Memory and Memorials" explores key topics such as: gender and memory; Victorian psychological theories of memory; and cultural constructions in literature, science, history and architecture.
"Memory and Memorials: From the French Revolution to World War One" employs a range of new and influential interdisciplinary methodologies. It offers both a fresh theoretical understanding of the period, and a wealth of empirical material of use to the historian, literary critic or social psychologist.
Matthew Campbell lectures in English literature at the University of Sheffield. He is the author of "Rhythm and Will in Victorian Poetry."
Jacqueline M. Labbe is senior lecturer in English at Warwick University. She is the author of "The Romantic Paradox: Love, Violence and the Uses of Romance, 1760-1830."
Sally Shuttleworth is professor of modern literature at the University of Sheffield. She is the author of "Charlotte Bront and Victorian Psychology."

Research from the neurosciences and behavioural sciences highlights the importance of individual differences in explaining human behaviour. Individual differences in core psychological constructs, such as intelligence or personality, account for meaningful variations in a vast range of responses and behaviours. Aspects of chess have been increasingly used in the past to evaluate a myriad of psychological theories, and several of these studies consider individual differences to be key constructs in their respective fields. This book summarizes the research surrounding the psychology of chess from an individual- differences perspective. The findings accumulated from nearly forty years' worth of research about chess and individual differences are brought together to show what is known - and still unknown - about the psychology of chess, with an emphasis on how people differ from one another.

The chapters in Human Spatial Memory: Remembering Where present a fascinating picture of an everyday aspect of mental life that is as intriguing to people outside of academia as it is to scientists studying human cognition and behavior. The questions are as old as the study of mind itself: How do we remember where objects are located? How do we remember where we are in relation to other places? What is the origin and developmental course of spatial memory? What neural structures are involved in remembering where? How do we come to understand scaled-down versions of places as symbolic representations of actual places? Although the questions are old, some of the answers-in-progress are new, thanks to some innovative theorizing, solid experimental work, and revealing applications of new technologies, such as virtual environments and brain imaging techniques. This volume includes a variety of theoretical, empirical, and methodological advances that invite readers to make their own novel connections between theory and research. Scholars who study spatial cognition can benefit from examining the latest from well-established experts, as well as milestone contributions from early-career researchers. This combination provides the reader with a sense of past, present, and future in terms of spatial memory research. Just as important, however, is the value of the volume as a touchstone resource for researchers who study perception, memory, or cognition but who are not concerned primarily with the spatial domain. All readers may find the fact that this volume violates the trend toward an ever-narrowing specialization refreshing. Chapters from cognitive psychologists are alongside chapters by developmentalists and neuroscientists; results from field studies are just pages away from those based on fMRI during observation of virtual displays. Thus, the book invites integrative examination across disciplines, research areas, and methodological approaches.

More than half of all everyday memory problems concern the delayed execution of an intended action, e.g. forgetting to give someone a call. This type of memory task has been labelled prospective memory and interest in this rather new field of cognitive psychology is growing. There are at least three reasons why research in prospective remembering is highly relevant. Firstly, prospective memory is of great relevance for everyday life. Secondly, prospective memory is of enormous clinical relevance. Thirdly, prospective memory research is of tremendous theoretical relevance. The six research papers in this special issue are paradigmatic examples of current approaches in this new and relevant field of cognitive psychology. Specifically, the question of to what extent is prospective memory similar to and to what extent is it different from the traditional topic of memory research is discussed. In addressing this question, concepts of cognitive functioning in general are being advanced. In addition, the mechanisms of neuropsychological impairments in prospective remembering as well as possible strategies of rehabilitation are investigated. Finally, a third focus is on the life-span development of prospective remembering. Investigating age-effects and possible underlying mechanisms, the influence of executive functioning, the specific nature of memory for intentions, and the role of motivational aspects are examined. Overall, this special issue convenes experts from several psychological disciplines in a collaborative effort to explore why humans so frequently have difficulties actually executing intentions that have been previously formed.

Contents:
S. Bluck, Autobiographical Memory: Exploring its Functions in Everyday Life. K. Nelson, Self and Social Functions: Individual Autobiographical Memory and Collective Narrative. A.E. Wilson, M. Ross, The Identity Function of Autobiographical Memory: Time is on Our Side. M. Pasupathi, Emotion Regulation during Social Remembering: Differences between Emotions Elicited during an Event and Emotions Elicited When Talking about It. N. Alea, S. Bluck, Why are You Telling Me That?: A Conceptual Model of the Social Function of Autobiographical Memory. R. Fivush, L.J. Berlin, J. Cassidy, Functions of Parent-child Reminiscing about Emotionally Negative Events. D.B. Pillemer, Directive Functions of Autobiographical Memory: The Guiding Power of the Specific Episode. J.D. Webster, The Reminiscence Circumplex and Autobiographical Memory Functions.

Contents:
F.I.M. Craik, Levels of Processing: Past, Present ... and Future? H.L. Roediger, III, D.A. Gallo, L. Geraci, Processing Approaches to Cognition. G. Mandler, Organisation: What Levels of Processing are Levels of. M.J. Watkins, Limits and Province of Levels of Processing: Considerations of a Construct. L. Nyberg, Levels of Processing: A View from Functional Brain Imaging. A. Richardson-Klavehn, J.M. Gardiner, C. Ramponi, Levels of Processing and the Process-dissociation Procedure: Elusiveness of Null Effects on Estimates of Automatic Retrieval. E.M. Reingold, On the Perceptual Specificity of Memory Representations. J.P. Mitchell, C.N. Macrae, J.W. Schooler, A.C. Rowe, A.B. Milne, Directed Remembering: Subliminal Cues Alter Nonconscious Memory Strategies. J.S. Nairne, The Myth of the Encoding-retrieval Match. R.S. Lockhart, Levels of Processing, Transfer-appropriate Processing, and the Concept of Robust Encoding. B.M. Velichkovsky, Heterarchy of Cognition: The Depths and the Highs of a Framework for Memory Research.

Early recollections is an approach that incisively captures the personality dynamics of individuals while remaining economical in terms of time efficiency. This volume reviews and organizes the extensive literature on early recollections since the first published article on the topic in 1893. Specific and detailed guidelines are presented for administering and interpreting early recollections and a contextual approach synthesizes perspectives from three vantage points: subjective, interpersonal, and objective. An extensive number of examples are included in the text along with a full-length case study.
Students and practitioners alike will benefit from gaining an awareness of an approach that will advance the counseling relationship, increase client understanding, and contribute to sound therapeutic planning and interventions.

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Human memory and cognitive aging have been the subject of intense scientific research during the last decades. Numerous advances have been made in explaining the cognitive processes and the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying human memory, and in outlining age-related changes in them. This new volume includes an up-to-date collection of chapters written by authoritative researchers in these fields. The chapters were originally presented in a conference held in May 1999 to mark the retirement of Fergus Craik from the University of Toronto. Craik's contributions in these two areas were at the center of the discussions held. These discussions were related to the history and current status of the influential levels of processing approach (Craik & Lockhart, 1972) as an explanatory framework of memory performance and to Craik's self-initiation/environmental support hypothesis of cognitive aging. Behavioral, as well as neuroimaging data, were brought to bear in evaluating these ideas as well as of others which are central to theories of both memory and cognitive aging.
The volume is divided into four parts, each preceded by introductory comments and followed by a discussion chapter. The first section deals with levels of processing and memory theory, the second addresses working memory and attention, the third deals with cognitive aging, and the last addresses neuroscience perspectives. With the breadth and depth of the topics discussed, the volume will be of interest to any student or researcher interested in human memory and cognitive aging.

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The Aesthetics of Nostalgia TV explores the aesthetic politics of nostalgia for 1950s and 60s America on contemporary television. Specifically, it looks at how nostalgic TV production design shapes and is shaped by larger historical discourses on gender and technological change, and America's perceived decline as a global power. Alex Bevan argues that the aesthetics of nostalgic TV tell stories of their own about historical decline and progress, and the place of the baby boomer television suburb in American national memory. She contests theories on nostalgia that see it as stagnating, regressive, or a reversion to outdated gender and racial politics, and the technophobic longing for a bygone era; and, instead, argues nostalgia is an important form of historical memory and vehicle for negotiating periods of historical transition. The book addresses how and why the shows construct the boomer era as a placeholder for gender, racial, technological, and declensionist discourses of the present. The book uses Mad Men (AMC, 2007-2015), Ugly Betty (ABC, 2006-2010), Desperate Housewives (ABC, 2004-2012), and film remakes of 1950s and 60s family sitcoms as primary case studies.

Memories are the ultimate foundation of testimony in legal settings ranging from criminal trials to divorce mediations and custody hearings. Yet the last decade has seen mounting evidence of various ways in which the accuracy of memories can be distorted on the one hand and enhanced on the other. This book offers a long-awaited comprehensive and balanced overview of what we now understand about children's and adults' eyewitness capabilities--and of the important practical and theoretical implications of this new understanding. The authors, leading clinicians and behavioral scientists with diverse training experiences and points of view, provide insight into the social, cognitive, developmental, and legal factors that affect the accuracy and quality of information obtained in forensic interviews. Armed with the knowledge these chapters convey, practitioners in psychology, psychiatry, social work, criminology, law, and other relevant fields will be better informed about the strengths and limitations of witnesses' accounts; researchers will be better poised to design powerful new studies. Memory and Suggestibility in the Forensic Interview will be a crucial resource for anyone involved in elucidating, interpreting, and reporting the memories of others.

"Women in the Hebrew Bible" presents the first one-volume overview covering the interpretation of women's place in man's world within the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. Written by the major scholars in the field of biblical studies and literary theory, these essays examine attitudes toward women and their status in ancient Near Eastern societies, focusing on the Israelite society portrayed by the Hebrew Bible.
Feminist analysis of the Bible offers clues for the beginnings of gender bias in Western culture. Metaphors and literary persona from those ancient writings permeate Western literature and haunt our collective unconscious. The essays range from feminist strategies for understanding the social world at the time of the production of the Hebrew Bible to interpretations of key female literary figures such as Ruth, Esther, Judith, Sarah, Rachel and Leah, the unnamed daughter of Jephthah, and the unnamed Levite's concubine in the book of Judges.
A case history of five essays presents different perspectives and interpretations of one passage, Numbers 5: 16 - 31, the so-called "Sotah text." These articles show how critical interpretive perspectives are to reading and understanding a biblical text.
"Women in the Hebrew Bible" offers a stellar selection of the most important writings about the social, cultural and gender codes reflected in Biblical texts.

This is a practical handbook which features 80 adaptable games and the issues that arise with them. Although primarily intended for use with older people, these games should be enjoyed by people of all ages: as part of a social activities programme; specifically for reminiscence purposes; to help keep people orientated to the world around them; to exercise memory skills; or as the prelude to discussion so that individuals can share difficulties and explore methods of aiding memory. The games can be used one-to-one as well as in groups, and can be made easier or more difficult accordingly.

The Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) is one of the most popular memory scales in the United States and much of the English-speaking world. This is the first book to systematically trace the evolution of the instrument in terms of its content and structure, whilst providing a guide to clinical interpretation and discussing its many research uses. The Wechsler Memory Scale: A Guide for Clinicians and Researchers provides a comprehensive review and synthesis of the literature on all the major editions and revisions of the WMS, including the Wechsler Memory Scale-I, Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, Wechsler Memory Scale-III, and the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV. It discusses major factor analytic studies of each version of the test, clinical interpretation of each version including studies on malingering, uses of each version with special populations, and makes suggestions for the next revision (i.e, the WMS-V). This book is designed to be a go-to source for all graduate students, clinicians and researchers who use the Wechsler Memory Scale, as well as to institutions offering formal training in adult clinical and neuropsychological assessment.

In the highly politicized memory space of postwar South Korea, many families have been deprived of their right to mourn loved ones lost in the Korean War. Only since the 1990s has the government begun to acknowledge the atrocities committed by South Korean and American troops that resulted in large numbers of civilian casualties. The Truth and Reconciliation Committee, new laws honoring victims, and construction of monuments and memorials have finally opened public spaces for mourning. In Right to Mourn, Suhi Choi explores this new context of remembering in which memories that have long been private are brought into official sites. As the generation that once carried these memories fades away, Choi poses an increasingly critical question: can a memorial communicate trauma and facilitate mourning? Through careful examination of recently built Korean War memorials (the Jeju April 3 Peace Park, the Memorial for the Gurye Victims of Yosun Killings, and the No Gun Ri Peace Park), Right to Mourn provokes readers to look at the nearly seven-decade-old war within the most updated context, and shows how suppressed trauma manifests at the transient interactions among bodies, objects, and rituals at the sites of these memorials.

Bringing together neuroscientists, social scientists, and humanities scholars in cross-disciplinary exploration of the topic of cultural memory, this collection moves from seminal discussions of the latest findings in neuroscience to variegated, specific case studies of social practices and artistic expressions. This volume highlights what can be gained from drawing on broad interdisciplinary contexts in pursuing scholarly projects involving cultural memory and associated topics. The collection argues that contemporary evolutionary science, in conjunction with studies interconnecting cognition, affect, and emotion, as well as research on socially mediated memory, provides innovatively interdisciplinary contexts for viewing current work on how cultural and social environments influence gene expression and neural circuitry. Building on this foundation, Cultural Memory turns to the exploration of the psychological processes and social contexts through which cultural memory is shaped, circulated, revised, and contested. It investigates how various modes of cultural expression-architecture, cuisine, poetry, film, and fiction-reconfigure shared conceptualizing patterns and affectively mediated articulations of identity and value. Each chapter showcases research from a wide range of fields and presents diverse interdisciplinary contexts for future scholarship. As cultural memory is a subject that invites interdisciplinary perspectives and is relevant to studying cultures around the world, of every era, this collection addresses an international readership comprising scholars from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, from advanced undergraduates to senior researchers.

Where do spontaneous thoughts come from? It may be surprising that the seemingly straightforward answers "from the mind" or "from the brain" are in fact an incredibly recent understanding of the origins of spontaneous thought. For nearly all of human history, our thoughts - especially the most sudden, insightful, and important - were almost universally ascribed to divine or other external sources. Only in the past few centuries have we truly taken responsibility for their own mental content, and finally localized thought to the central nervous system - laying the foundations for a protoscience of spontaneous thought. But enormous questions still loom: what, exactly, is spontaneous thought? Why does our brain engage in spontaneous forms of thinking, and when is this most likely to occur? And perhaps the question most interesting and accessible from a scientific perspective: how does the brain generate and evaluate its own spontaneous creations? Spontaneous thought includes our daytime fantasies and mind-wandering; the flashes of insight and inspiration familiar to the artist, scientist, and inventor; the nighttime visions we call dreams; and clinical phenomena such as repetitive depressive rumination. This Handbook brings together views from neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, phenomenology, history, education, contemplative traditions, and clinical practice to begin to address the ubiquitous but poorly understood mental phenomena that we collectively call 'spontaneous thought.' In studying such an abstruse and seemingly impractical subject, we should remember that our capacity for spontaneity, originality, and creativity defines us as a species - and as individuals. Spontaneous forms of thought enable us to transcend not only the here and now of perceptual experience, but also the bonds of our deliberately-controlled and goal-directed cognition; they allow the space for us to be other than who we are, and for our minds to think beyond the limitations of our current viewpoints and beliefs.