From self-identity to social relationships to mood, memory has an important impact on many aspects of daily life. In this seminar, we will examine a novel approach to memory research that focuses on the functions of memory. We will discuss a variety of functions, including whether talking about the past can enhance relationship satisfaction and how memories help us form a sense of identity. To fully address these questions, we will compare how the functions of memory might be similar or different across different individuals, for example, in different cultures or between men and women. Throughout the course we will learn skills for evaluating and designing psychological research and for applying psychology to solve real-world problems.

These are a sample of some of the questions we may discuss in this course:

• Does memory accuracy matter?
• When is forgetting a good thing?
• Does reminiscing about "good times" make couples happier?
• How do memory biases affect the way we judge ourselves and others?
• Does remembering past good deeds lead people to do more good deeds?
• How is technology changing the way we remember?