Stephanie A. Berger, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Ph.D., Adelphi University
M.A., Adelphi University
B.A., University of Dayton
stephanie.berger@mountsaintvincent.edu
Areas of Interest
- Autobiographical Memory
- Accuracy and distortion of Autobiographical Memory
- Functions and purpose of Autobiographical Memory
- Relationship between personal goals and Autobiographical Memory
Autobiographical memories are memories of short, specific life-events (e.g., my first time waiting tables at a new job), of more general events (e.g., hanging out most nights after work with other servers) and of lifetime periods (e.g., when I worked my way through college). They are organized around themes such as relationships and major life changes and also around personal goals from learning to sing to graduating college.
Dr. Berger’s research focuses on how accurately we recall our own autobiographical memory, the characteristics of the memories we recall best and how what we remember about our past affects our behaviors today.
Courses
- PSYC 103 Introduction to Psychology I
- PSYC 205 Psychological Statistics
- PSYC 315 Research Methods in Psychology
- PSYC 324 Learning and Memory
- PSYC 405 Advanced Research in Psychology
- PSYC 424 Cognition
- FSEM 108 Science and Pseudoscience
Publications
Eerland, A., Sherrill, A. M., Magliano, J. P., Zwaan, R. A., Arnal, J. D., Aucoin, P., Berger, S.A., . . . Prenoveau, J. M. (2016). Registered replication report: Hart & Albarracín (2011). Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11, 158–171. (Contributing author)
Gorfein, D., Berger, S. A. & Bubka, A. (2000). The selection of homograph meaning: Word association when context changes. Memory & Cognition, 28, 766-773.
Bahrick, H.P., Hall, L.K., & Berger, S. A. (2000). Accuracy and distortion in memory for high school grades. In U. Neisser & I. E. Hyman, Jr. (Eds.), Memory Observed (pp. 164-174). New York, NY: Worth.
Berger, S.A., Hall, L. K., & Bahrick, H. P. (1999). Stabilizing access to marginal and sub-marginal knowledge. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 5, 438-447.
Select Presentations
*Student co-authors
Berger, S. A. (June, 2019). Can retrieving autobiographical memories of difficult times in close relationships predict the likelihood of lying? Presented at the 13th Meeting of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, Cape Cod, MA.
*Johnson, C. & Berger, S.A. (March, 2019). Telling Lies and Using Excuses Face-to-Face and Online. Poster presented at the 90th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, NY.
Berger, S. A., Saphan. L. & Brown, N. (November, 2018). Autobiographical Memory of Khmer Rouge Survivors. Poster Presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, New Orleans, LA.
*Hernandez, V., *Coppola, A., Berger, S. A., & *Johnson, C. (March, 2018). Autobiographical Memories of Close Relationships in Good Times and Bad Times, Presented at the 89th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Berger, S. A. (2016, July). Does Setting Realistic Goals for the Future Depend on Accurately Recalling the Past? Presented at the 6th International Conference on Memory, Budapest, Hungary.
Berger, S.A. (April, 2016). Recall accuracy for autobiographical memories related to important—and not so important—personal goals. Presented to the College of Mount Saint Vincent Faculty Research Forum, Riverdale, N. Y.
*Rodriguez, J. E. & Berger, S. A. (March, 2016). Student-athlete Autobiographical Memory and the Exploration of Goal-Orientation. Presented at the 87th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, NY.
Berger, S. A. (2015, June). Identifying Qualities that Predict Accurate Recall of Autobiographical Memory. Presented at SARMAC XI, Vancouver, Canada.
*Forsyth, E., *Bloom, K. and *Wilson, J. (2015, March). Achievement Goals as a Predictor of Academic Satisfaction. Presented at the 86th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Philadelphia, PA. [Sponsored Student Presentation]
Berger, S. A. (2014, November). Goal Strength and Recall of Autobiographical Memory. Presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Long Beach, CA.
Berger, S.A. (2013, June). Recall Accuracy of Autobiographical Memory. Poster presented at SARMAC X, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Berger, S.A., *Alvarado, D., *Maria, J. & *Tejada, A. (2013, March). Recall Accuracy of Autobiographical Memory relates to Current Goal Strength. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, New York, NY.
Berger, S.A. (2011, November). Short Term Distortion of Autobiographical Memory. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Seattle, WA.
Berger, S.A., *Perla, L., & *Owens, K. (2011, March). Autobiographical Memory for Characteristic and Uncharacteristic Behavior. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Cambridge, MA.
*Gordils, L, *King, K. & Berger, S.A. (2010, March). Comparing true and false excuses to find differences between truth and lies. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Brooklyn, NY.
Berger, S. A.., *Lucas, C. M. & *Budhu, K. (2006, March). Accuracy of Autobiographical Memory: Recall of Lies. Presented to the 77th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Baltimore, MD.
Berger, S. A. (2005, November). Verifiable Autobiographical Memory: Recall of Lies. Presented to the 46th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.