TASK DEFINITION: Read the given story and classify it as 'imagined', 'recalled', or 'retold'. If a story is imagined, the person who wrote the story is making it up, pretending they experienced it. If a story is recalled, the person who wrote the story really experienced it and is recalling it from memory. If a story is retold, it is a real memory like the 'recalled' stories, but written down much later after previously writing a 'recalled' story about the same events. So, recalled stories and retold stories will be fairly similar, in that they both were real experiences for the writer. Imagined stories have a more linear flow and contain more commonsense knowledge, whereas recalled stories are less connected and contain more specific concrete events. Additionally, higher levels of self reference are found in imagined stories. Between recalled and retold stories, retold stories flow significantly more linearly than recalled stories, and retold stories are significantly higher in scores for cognitive processes and positive tone.
PROBLEM: Recently I have tried to begin an aerobic exercise routine. It's hard to find a time to fit this into my schedule, but I settled on 7:30 PM in my apartment. I do various exercises, but one of the main ones is running in place. I should mention that before I describe the surprising event, I had not exercised in about three days for various reasons. Anyway, on a Monday morning I was working at home when the doorbell rang. This was very strange, since no one visits my apartment at this time, and I had no deliveries. So got up and looked through the peephole to see three old ladies standing outside. I didn't know what to think of this, so I opened my door curiously. The tallest of the old ladies stood in the middle and explained that she lives in the apartment below me, and she's concerned about the jumping around at about 8:00 because it shakes her ceiling. Someone else said that the three of them were friends, and they were going out for a walk, and would go to Kenya soon (not sure why that was mentioned). They said the floors were thin (I had thought they were solid--the floors of my previous apartment were very thin,) and everything in her apartment shakes, so I should exercise in the gym. I said sure, sorry about that, etc. I didn't mention how they slam the doors in the apartment below me after I've gone to bed, but it sounds like her complaint was bigger than mine. So now I'm trying to redesign my exercise routine without any jumping or running. I might have to actually go to the gym, though I don't really feel like it.

SOLUTION: recalled

PROBLEM: My son returned from a deployment in Cuba for the US ARMY a couple months ago. We had a huge coming home party for him. It was such a joyous occasion. We had not seen him for over a year. He was so happy to be home. We invited all of his friends and family. Unfortunately some of our relatives got really intoxicated and got into a physical alteration. The police were called and his father ended up getting arrested for assault when he tried to break up the fight. I feel so embarrassed and ashamed of these family members. I really wanted this to be a happy time for my son, but he ended up so upset, and unfortunately, this has caused a huge strain on a few of our family's relationships. What should have been a great celebration, ended up being an event filled with bad memories. My son is the one who should have been celebrated. Instead, certain family members decided to be selfish. They decided to focus on unnecessary drama. I have apologized to my son. He said that it is all right, but I do not agree. It will be a long time before I consider having those relatives at any events in the near future.

SOLUTION: recalled

PROBLEM: I work for Walmart, a company I have been working for the past 3 years. Two weeks ago, I got a promotion. This promotion I had been waiting and hoping for, for the last year. I was finally promoted to Assistant Manager. It was an unexpected early promotion as I was not supposed to get promoted until September, instead I got promoted in July. It really came to a surprise to me that I got the promotion so early. I suppose it was because they really enjoy my line of work and love that I am work-driven and know how to complete tasks in a timely fashion and can be consistent and meet deadlines. At least, I hope that is why they decided to give the promotion to me as early as they did. I am very pleased with my work ethic, I enjoy this company a lot and think that I can bring new and fresh ideas to this company as well as be a great manager. I just didn't think that it would happen because even though I work so hard and I want to do a great job and make sure that I am always on time and I am always striving to be a better version of myself from the day before. I like to do well in the goals and tasks that I have set for myself on a daily basis when it comes to my job, or anything that I do. I am very grateful for this opportunity to be in this new position and so grateful to my employers above me that felt that I deserved this opportunity and are wanting me to progress and grow along side the company. I have put so much time and effort into this place and it's starting to pay off. I know that if I put in the amount of hours, work, and dedication that I can achieve anything and for that I am so proud and honor to be apart of this establishment. I am over the moon about this promotion and I ended up celebrating with my loved ones and family members with a bottle of bubbly berry juice (as I and my family members are not a fan of alcoholic beverages) and we went out to dinner afterwards to celebrate this new chapter of my life.

SOLUTION:
imagined