Exploring the dimensions of autobiographical memory: a validation of the Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART) for the European-Portuguese language.

Abstract

The Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART) assesses individual differences in the subjective phenomenology of autobiographical remembering across seven dimensions of recollection. The present study adapted and validated the European-Portuguese ART (ART-PT) in a sample of 303 adults. Following standardised translation and back-translation procedures, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to examine whether the original seven-factor structure generalised to the European-Portuguese language. The seven-factor model demonstrated an excellent fit, with all items loading significantly on their intended factors. A higher-order factor structure also showed a comparable fit, consistent with previous validations. Internal consistency was high for the total scale at both administrations (ω = .95 and .96) and satisfactory to excellent for all subscales. Test- retest reliability over a three-week interval (n = 83) was acceptable for the full scale (r = .73). Convergent validity analyses revealed small to moderate associations between ART-PT scores, vividness of visual imagery, and self-reported memory lapses, in theoretically expected directions. Together, the findings confirm that the ART-PT is a reliable, valid, and culturally robust instrument for assessing subjective autobiographical memory in European-Portuguese. This adaptation expands the methodological tools available for cross-cultural research on the phenomenology of autobiographical memory, providing a theoretically grounded measure suitable for cognitive, developmental, and clinical applications. Keywords: Autobiographical Memory; Autobiographical Recollection Test; Memory Phenomenology; Psychometric Validation; European-Portuguese Language.