Leveraging and Enhancing Conversational Memory

Recent advances in the study of interpersonal memory (i.e., memory for conversations and past interactions with other people) have demonstrated how important it is to show others that you recall your time with them (Ray et. al, 2019). Yet the study of interpersonal memory has just begun and the current theoretical model of interpersonal memory leaves myriad important questions unanswered. For example, which types of social interactions are most important to remember and which can be safely forgotten? At what point does displaying memory for another person become unwelcome or creepy? And, how can memory for conversation be enhanced? This project will use a mix of carefully controlled experimental work, ecologically valid correlational designs, and qualitative enquiry in order to extend theoretical models of memory and memory display in answer these questions.