Is overgeneral autobiographical memory an isolated memory phenomenon in major depression?

Journal article

The present study explored the relation between overgeneral autobiographical memory (AM) and other aspects of memory functioning in depression. A total of 26 patients with major depressive disorder completed a set of memory tasks measuring AM specificity (AMT; Williams and Broadbent, 1986), working memory, semantic memory, verbal learning, delayed verbal recall, recognition memory, and source memory. Reduced specificity of AM was related to poor working memory (central executive functioning) and poor source memory. The former finding conforms to the idea that the voluntary retrieval of specific autobiographical memories (AMs) involves central executive processes (e.g., Conway and Pleydell-Pearce, 2000). The latter finding replicates and extends recent findings suggesting that overgeneral AM is part of a broader memory deficit in retrieving the specific details of the context in which information was acquired (Ramponi, Barnard, and Nimmo-Smith, 2004). Furthermore, in line with Ramponi et al. (2004), rumination was found to be related to both overgeneral AM and poor source memory.

Authors: Raes, F; Hermans, D; Williams, J; Demyttenaere, K; Sabbe, B

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Memory (Hove, England)
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 584-594
• Publication date: 2006-07-01
• DOI: 10.1080/09658210600624614
• EISSN: 1464-0686
• ISSN: 0965-8211
• Language: English
• Keywords: Verbal Learning; Recognition (Psychology); Mental Recall; Female; Adult; Memory, Short-Term; Middle Aged; Memory Disorders; Humans; Language Tests; Psychological Tests; Depressive Disorder, Major; Models, Psychological; Male; Cognition