Event knowledge and the subjective temporal distance of past events

Three studies investigated a proposed relation between memory quality for past events and the subjective temporal distance of those events. The findings support the hypothesis that those events that are remembered more vividly and in greater detail tend to feel closer than more poorly remembered events. Studies 1 and 2 establish a correlational link between memory quality and subjective distance. Study 3 uses an experimental design to demonstrate that an individual\u27s memory quality for a past event can affect his/her rating of the subjective distance of that event. The results are discussed in terms of the associations between feelings of subjective distance and self-esteem maintenance, and between subjective distance and systematic error in objective date estimates for past events