How useful is the concept of a ‘working self’ in accounting for the functioning of autobiographical memory?

Autobiographical memories form the basis of an individual’s sense of self-history, as Conway and Holmes (2005) suggest, they provide a ‘database’ of the self. These memories help people to interact with one another, give a sense of personal and social history, and provide a sense of continuity to experience which would otherwise not be possible. This essay endeavours to explore the utility of the concept of a ‘working self’ in accounting for how autobiographical memories are cognitively organised.