Características fenomenológicas de los recuerdos independientes del dontexto

espanolLa relacion entre contexto ambiental y memoria se ha estudiado experimentalmente con resultados contradictorios. Una aproximacion diferente, basada en el uso de un cuestionario fenomenologico (el MCQ. Johnson y cols, 1988) proporciona datos que ayudan a comprender algunas caracteristicas de los recuerdos dependientes del contexto. Los resultados muestran que dichos recuerdos se caracterizan por una localizacion clara del lugar donde se produjo el suceso, claridad sobre la epoca del ano, un argumento realista y la evocacion de sentimientos asociados al suceso. Ademas, los recuerdos dependientes del contextos se caracterizan tambien por contener poca informacion relativa a sonidos, olores, sensaciones tactiles y sabores, y por tener pocas implicaciones personales serias. Ademas de permitir una caracterizacion del fenomeno mas completa que la disponible hasta el momento, estos datos tambien proporcionan sugerencias para futuros planteamientos empiricos. EnglishThe relationship between environmental context and memory has been experimentally studied with puzzling results. A different approach, based on the use of a phenomenological questionnaire (the MCQ, Johnson et al., 1988), provides data that helps to understand some characteristics of context-dependent memory. The results allow for a characterization of this type of memory as one in which the location where the event takes place and the season of occurrence are clear, the story line is simple and realistic, and the subjects remember how they felt at the time when the event took place. Contextually based memories appear to contain little information relative to sounds, smells, touch and taste, and, in retrospective, the event is not judged to be of particular importance in the life of the rememberer. Besides providing a characterization of the phenomenon that is more complete than previous accounts, the data also provide suggestions for further empirical research.