Dr. Fabian Hutmacher

Autobiographical Memory in the Digital Age

Never before have humans stored more information about their lives than today – ranging from photos and videos to social media posts, e-mails, and health-tracking data. How does this increased density of recorded life episodes shape the way we remember our lives?

Selected Publications:

Hutmacher, F., Appel, M., & Schwan, S. (2024). Understanding autobiographical memory in the digital age: The AMEDIA-model. Psychological Inquiry, 35(2), 83–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2024.2384125

Hutmacher, F., Schläger, L., & Meerson, R. (2023). Autobiographical memory in the digital age: Insights based on the subjective reports of users of smart journaling apps. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 37(4), 686–698. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.4033

Hutmacher, F., & Appel, M. (2023). The psychology of personalization in digital environments: From motivation to well-being – a theoretical integration. Review of General Psychology, 27(1), 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/10892680221105663

 

Autobiographical Memory across the Lifespan

When remembering our lives, we are telling stories. At the same time, we do not remember our early childhood years – and at the end of our lives, dementia may endanger our ability to remember. How can we deal with this?

Selected Publications:

Hutmacher, F., & Schwan, S. (2023). Remembering beloved objects from early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence and the role of the five senses. Memory, 31(2), 270–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2022.2152462

Hutmacher, F., & Morgenroth, K. (2022). The beginning of the life story: The meaning of the earliest autobiographical memory from an adult perspective. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 36(3), 612–622. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3948

Hutmacher, F., & Schouwink, K. (2022). ”It is the beautiful things that let us live”: How engaging in creative activities outside of standardized interventions helps family members of persons with dementia. Dementia, 21(2), 396–409. https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012211041804

 

Motivated Reasoning and Conspiracy Theories

Human thinking is not always objective and rational and not everyone is willing to follow the unforced force of the better argument. However, who is particularly prone to engage in motivated reasoning or to fall for conspiracy theories and misinformation – and what can we do about it?

Selected Publications:

Hutmacher, F., Reichardt, R., & Appel, M. (2024). Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of Personality. Scientific Reports, 14, Article 5615. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55930-9

Hutmacher, F., Appel, M., Schätzlein, B., & Mengelkamp, C. (2024). Fluid intelligence but not need for cognition is associated with attitude change in response to the correction of misinformation. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 9, Article 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-024-00595-1

Hutmacher, F., Reichardt, R., & Appel, M. (2022). The role of motivated science reception and numeracy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Understanding of Science, 31(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625211047974

 

Theory and History of Psychology

There can be no progress in science without good theories. However, what makes a good theory? Why does psychology have such a hard time formulating good theories? And what can we learn about the human psyche when looking into the past?

Selected Publications:

Hutmacher, F., & Franz, D. J. (in press). Approaching psychology’s current crises by exploring the vagueness of psychological concepts: Recommendations for advancing the discipline. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001300

Hutmacher, F. (2019). Why is there so much more research on vision than on any other sensory modality? Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 2246. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02246

Hutmacher, F. (2019). On the Janus-facedness of stress and modern life. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 39, 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1037/teo0000113

 

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