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Misremembrance of Things Past: Depression Is Associated With Difficulties in the Recollection of Both Specific and Categoric Autobiographical Memories.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Rodrigues, Evangeline 
Rees, Catrin 
Gormley, Siobhan 
Dritschel, Barbara 

Abstract

Impaired retrieval of specific, autobiographical memories of personally experienced events is characteristic of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, findings in subclinical samples suggest that the reduced specificity phenomenon may reflect a broader impairment in the deliberate retrieval of all autobiographical memory types. This experiment (N = 68) explored this possibility by requiring individuals with and without MDD to complete a cued-recall task that required retrieval of specific, single-incident memories to a block of cues; retrieval of categoric, general memories to a block of cues; and to alternate between retrieval of specific and general memories for a block of cues. Results demonstrated that relative to never-depressed controls, individuals with MDD experience reduced recall of both specific (d = 0.48) and general memories (d = 1.00) along with reduced flexibility in alternating between specific and general memories (d = 0.90). Findings support further development of autobiographical memory-based interventions that target a range of retrieval deficits rather than specificity alone.

Description

Keywords

assessment and intervention, autobiographical memory, depression, open data, open materials

Journal Title

Clin Psychol Sci

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2167-7026
2167-7034

Volume Title

7

Publisher

SAGE Publications
Sponsorship
MRC (unknown)
Economic and Social Research Council (ES/R010781/1)
MRC (2114206)