Reduced autobiographical memory specificity and affect regulation

Journal article

The effect of specificity of autobiographical memory (AM) retrieval on the affective impact of an emotional event was examined. In Study 1 (N = 90) the impact of a negative and positive experience was compared between student participants who habitually retrieve autobiographical memories (AMs) in a specific way and participants who generally retrieve less specific memories. In Study 2 (N = 48) the effect of an experimentally induced (specific vs. overgeneral) retrieval style on the impact of a negative experience was studied in student participants who habitually retrieve less specific memories. Study 1 replicated the finding of Raes, Hermans, de Decker, Eelen, and Williams (2003) that a negative event leads to less subjective distress in low-specific participants as compared with high-specific participants. However, both groups did not differ in their affective reaction to a positive event. Important, reduced memory specificity was associated with "repressive coping" providing further evidence for the idea that reduced memory specificity is used as an avoidant or repressive-defensive mechanism to regulate negative affect (Williams, 1996). In Study 2, participants who were induced to retrieve memories in an overgeneral way experienced more distress following a negative event as compared with participants who were induced to retrieve memories in a specific way. Results are discussed in the context of recent findings concerning AM specificity and emotion regulation (Philippot, Schaefer, and Herbette, 2003). Directions for further research are suggested. © 2006 Psychology Press Ltd.

Authors: Raes, F; Hermans, D; Williams, J; Eelen, P

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: COGNITION and EMOTION
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 3-4
• Pages: 402-429
• Publication date: 2006-01-01
• DOI: 10.1080/02699930500341003
• EISSN: 1464-0600
• ISSN: 0269-9931
• Language: English