ABSTRACT
Part of everyday memory is the ability to remember the situations that are described in conversation, texts we read, ®lms we see, and so on. This memory requires a mental representation that will capture the important aspects of a described event. This representation, in some sense, serves as mental analogue for the situation in the world. By remembering a mental analogue of the situation, we are remembering the described event. These mental representations of described situations are called situation models (Van Dijk & Kintsch, 1983; Zwaan & Radvansky, 1998). This chapter will look at a number of ways that memory for events is in¯uenced by the use of these situation models. A general description of memory for situations is ®rst provided. After this, the chapter will look at the long-term memory for events, how the dynamic characteristics of events can change memory as we update our understanding of the event, and how event memory is affected by the natural ageing process.
