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Anthony K, Wong HK, Lim A, Sow F, Janssen SMJ. Examining the roles of visual imagery and working memory in the retrieval of autobiographical memories using a dual-task paradigm. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:447-460. [PMID: 37649149 PMCID: PMC10880419 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231200724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The retrieval of autobiographical memories involves the construction of mental representations of past personal events. Many researchers examining the processes underlying memory retrieval argue that visual imagery plays a fundamental role. Other researchers, however, have argued that working memory is an integral component involved in memory retrieval. The goal of this study was to resolve these conflicting arguments by comparing the relative contributions of visual imagery and working memory during the retrieval of autobiographical memories in a dual-task paradigm. While following a moving dot, viewing a dynamic visual noise (DVN), or viewing a blank screen, 95 participants recalled their memories and subsequently rated them on different memory characteristics. The results suggest that inhibiting visual imagery by having participants view DVN merely delayed memory retrieval but did not affect the phenomenological quality of the memories retrieved. Taxations to the working memory by having participants follow a moving dot, on the contrary, resulted in only longer retrieval latencies and no reductions in the specificity, vividness, or the emotional intensity of the memories retrieved. Whereas the role of visual imagery during retrieval is clear, future studies could further examine the role of working memory during retrieval by administering a task that is less difficult or by recruiting a larger sample than this study. The results of this study seem to suggest that both visual imagery and working memory play a role during the retrieval of autobiographical memory, but more research needs to be conducted to determine their exact roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Anthony
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Hoo Keat Wong
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Alfred Lim
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
- Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Farrah Sow
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Steve MJ Janssen
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
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2
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Luchetti M, Rossi N, Montebarocci O. Brief report: Collecting self‐defining memories outside therapy. CLIN PSYCHOL-UK 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/cp.12032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Luchetti
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy,
| | - Nicolino Rossi
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy,
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Warne N, Collishaw S, Rice F. Examining the relationship between stressful life events and overgeneral autobiographical memory in adolescents at high familial risk of depression. Memory 2019; 27:314-327. [PMID: 30124107 PMCID: PMC6343111 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1508591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Difficulty remembering specific events from the personal past, known as overgeneral autobiographical memory (AM), may be a marker of vulnerability to adolescent depression but little is known about how overgeneral AM arises in this age group. Stressful life events (SLEs) are strongly implicated in the onset of depression and are considered important in theoretical work on AM. We investigated whether exposure to lifetime and recent SLEs contributed to the development of overgeneral AM in a sample of adolescents at high familial risk of depression (n = 257) and examined the effects of gender and memory valence. Whether AM mediated the relationship between SLEs and MDD was also assessed. Exposure to a higher number of lifetime SLEs was associated with an increase in specific AMs. Associations of recent SLEs with AM differed by gender. For girls, more recent SLEs were associated with more overgeneral AMs. For boys, more recent SLEs were associated with fewer overgeneral AMs and more specific AMs. AM did not mediate the relationship between SLEs and subsequent DSM-IV depressive symptom count. Results suggest a complex relationship between AM and SLEs and that overgeneral AM and SLEs may have independent effects on future depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Warne
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Stephan Collishaw
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Frances Rice
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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Roberts JE, Yanes-Lukin P, Kyung Y. Distinctions between autobiographical memory specificity and detail: Trajectories across cue presentations. Conscious Cogn 2018; 65:342-351. [PMID: 30181070 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Autobiographical memory is central to identity and self-awareness, but individuals with depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder tend to have overgeneral memories. Recent research has suggested that the ability to retrieve specific memories and individual differences in the amount of detail in specific memories are independent (Kyung, Yanes-Lukin, & Roberts, 2016). We re-analyzed data from Kyung et al. to test whether these constructs are distinct in terms of their trajectories over cue presentations. Results indicated a U-shaped trajectory for specificity, but a inverted-U trajectory for detail, suggesting a dissociation in which periods of decreasing probability of retrieving specific memories correspond to increasing amounts of detail. Further, trajectories had similar forms when memories included emotional content, but differed for recollections that did not include emotional content. Finally, at the individual level, slopes for specificity and detail across trials were uncorrelated. These findings provide further support for the independence of these constructs.
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Guler OE, Mackovichova S. The role of executive function in autobiographical memory retrieval: does the type of cue word matter? Memory 2018; 27:423-430. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1513040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- O. Evren Guler
- Department of Psychology, Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Bunnell SL, Legerski JP, Herting NR. The autobiographical memory test: Differences in memory specificity across three recall elicitation methods. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-018-9930-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Bahk YC, Choi KH. The relationship between autobiographical memory, cognition, and emotion in older adults: a review. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2017; 25:874-892. [PMID: 28895783 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2017.1377681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Over the past 30 years, the concept of "autobiographical memory" has been highlighted in numerous behavioral and neuroanatomical studies. Importantly, episodic autobiographical memory, an aspect of autobiographical memory, has been shown to decrease with age but can be improved by training. Autobiographical memory is deeply associated with the default mode network (especially posterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex), which is particularly interesting in the context of better understanding the relationship between autobiographical memory, cognition, and emotion in older adults. This article provides an overview of the behavioral and neuroanatomical characteristics of autobiographical memory, as well as its relationship with the default mode network, cognition, emotion, and aging. This article also provides an overall review of autobiographical memory training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Chun Bahk
- a Department of Psychology , Korea University , Seoul , Republic of Korea
| | - Kee-Hong Choi
- a Department of Psychology , Korea University , Seoul , Republic of Korea
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Arditte Hall KA, De Raedt R, Timpano KR, Joormann J. Positive memory enhancement training for individuals with major depressive disorder. Cogn Behav Ther 2017; 47:155-168. [DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2017.1364291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Arditte Hall
- National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave. (116B), Boston, MA 02130, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kiara R. Timpano
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
| | - Jutta Joormann
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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Abstract
A critical assumption of the CaR-FA-X model, that overgeneral memory is partly attributable to the "functional avoidance" of specific details about one's past experiences, has not been experimentally tested. Further, while it is assumed that the reinforcing properties of said avoidance leads to the emergence of an overgeneral recall style over time, this question has not been addressed developmentally. To explore these issues, two studies were conducted. In Study 1, 41 children and adolescents (Mage = 12 years) were randomly assigned to recall overgeneral or specific negative memories on the Autobiographical Memory Test; participants later listened to their memories and provided pre- and post-tests of their emotional states at four time points: before and after memory generation and before and after memory exposure. In Study 2, 52 college-aged participants (Mage = 19 years) completed the same protocol. Results indicated that children and adolescents in the overgeneral condition reported higher levels of positive affect relative to those in the specific condition, while recall condition did not impact adults' emotional states. These findings were not explained by differences in emotion regulation strategies or psychopathological symptoms. Implications for developmental models of autobiographical memory and emotion regulation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Bunnell
- a Department of Psychology , Ohio Wesleyan University , Delaware , OH , USA
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Lost in distractors: Reduced Autobiographical Memory Specificity and dispersed activation spreading over distractors in working memory. Behav Res Ther 2017; 94:19-35. [PMID: 28441521 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Studies on autobiographical memory retrieval highlight the prominence of rapid and direct access to a specific event memory. Because it has been believed that autobiographical memory retrieval mostly relies on an effortful generative process, there is little empirical evidence on the early stage of information processing that contributes to autobiographical memory specificity (AMS). Therefore, we investigated the associations between AMS and automatic activation of information stimulated by rapid presentation of emotional words. Study 1 involved a visual search task to assess activation of various distractors in working memory. Participants with reduced AMS showed a tendency to activate distractors that were not semantically associated with preceding cues. In Study 2, we manipulated the levels of AMS by using a computerized version of Memory Specificity Training (c-MeST) to observe the changes in the activation of distractors. Results showed that increases in AMS were associated with decreases in activation of cue-unassociated distractors. These findings suggest that reduced AMS can be characterized by dispersed activation spreading over semantically unassociated distractors in automatic information selection of working memory. Because we also found an association between depressive symptoms and AMS, the role of automatic information processing in the relation between reduced AMS and depression is discussed.
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Haddad AD, Harmer CJ, Williams JMG. Executive dysfunction and autobiographical memory retrieval in recovered depressed women. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2014; 45:260-6. [PMID: 24374578 PMCID: PMC3989034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Revised: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Depressed individuals have difficulty remembering specific autobiographical events. These deficits often persist after recovery of mood symptoms, but the mechanisms underlying impaired memory specificity in recovered depressed individuals remain unclear. Here, we sought to examine whether performance on two cognitive measures might be related to deficits in autobiographical memory retrieval in individuals with a history of depression. METHODS Twenty-four recovered depressed women (12 with more than one previous episode) and 24 never depressed women completed two cognitive measures (Digit Span and a Number Generation Task) and tests of autobiographical memory recall. RESULTS Overall, the recovered depressed women did not show deficits in autobiographical retrieval. However, those with more than one previous episode had impaired retrieval of categorical autobiographical memories. Moreover, depression history moderated the relationship between Digit Span and retrieval of categoric autobiographical memories such that within the whole recovered depressed group (but not the never depressed group), those with lower Digit Span also had poorer retrieval of categorical autobiographical memories. LIMITATIONS Our sample size was small and included only women. Moreover, order effects may have been a significant factor. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the notion that working memory is an important factor in impairing autobiographical memory in those who have recovered from depression, but suggest a complex relationship with autobiographical recall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneke D.M. Haddad
- Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom. Tel.: +44 1865 271 349.
| | - Catherine J. Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| | - J. Mark G. Williams
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
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Neshat Doost HT, Yule W, Kalantari M, Rezvani SR, Dyregrov A, Jobson L. Reduced autobiographical memory specificity in bereaved Afghan adolescents. Memory 2013; 22:700-9. [PMID: 23889469 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2013.817590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of bereavement (father death due to war in Afghanistan) on autobiographical memory specificity in Afghan adolescents living in Iran. Participants consisted of bereaved (n=70) and non-bereaved (n=33) Afghan adolescents. The measures included Farsi versions of the Autobiographical Memory Test, Mood and Feeling Questionnaire, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, and Impact of Event Scale. Results indicated that the bereaved group retrieved a significantly lower proportion of specific memories and a significantly greater proportion of extended and categoric memories than the non-bereaved group. Additionally, depression symptoms and reduced autobiographical memory specificity were significantly correlated. These findings suggest that bereaved adolescents have impaired autobiographical memory specificity.
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13
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Griffith JW, Sumner JA, Raes F, Barnhofer T, Debeer E, Hermans D. Current psychometric and methodological issues in the measurement of overgeneral autobiographical memory. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2012. [PMID: 23200427 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Autobiographical memory is a multifaceted construct that is related to psychopathology and other difficulties in functioning. Across many studies, a variety of methods have been used to study autobiographical memory. The relationship between overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) and psychopathology has been of particular interest, and many studies of this cognitive phenomenon rely on the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) to assess it. In this paper, we examine several methodological approaches to studying autobiographical memory, and focus primarily on methodological and psychometric considerations in OGM research. We pay particular attention to what is known about the reliability, validity, and methodological variations of the AMT. The AMT has adequate psychometric properties, but there is great variability in methodology across studies that use it. Methodological recommendations and suggestions for future studies are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Griffith
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 625 N Michigan Ave, 27th Floor, Suite 2700, Chicago, IL 60610, USA.
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Blix I, Brennen T. Mental time travel after trauma: the specificity and temporal distribution of autobiographical memories and future-directed thoughts. Memory 2011; 19:956-67. [PMID: 22050299 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2011.618500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the relationship between trauma exposure and specificity and temporal distribution of autobiographical memories and future-directed thoughts. A group of sexual assault victims were compared with women without previous trauma exposure in relation to specificity of autobiographical memories, as measured by the Autobiographical Memory Task (AMT) and specificity of future-directed thoughts as measured by the Future Cueing Task (FCT). The temporal distribution of future-directed thoughts and autobiographical memories was studied by asking the participants to estimate when each memory reported on the AMT had occurred and when each future event reported on the FCT would occur. The results showed no difference between the trauma group and the controls on specificity of autobiographical memories and future-directed thoughts. In line with a review of Moore and Zoellner (2007), PTSD symptoms as measured by the Impact of Event Scale (IES) correlated negatively with specificity. Furthermore, we observed no difference in temporal distribution of future-directed thoughts or autobiographical memories between trauma exposed participants and controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Blix
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Sumner JA. The mechanisms underlying overgeneral autobiographical memory: an evaluative review of evidence for the CaR-FA-X model. Clin Psychol Rev 2011; 32:34-48. [PMID: 22142837 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2011.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2011] [Revised: 09/26/2011] [Accepted: 10/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) has been found to be an important cognitive phenomenon with respect to depression and trauma-related psychopathology (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder), and researchers have been interested in better understanding the factors that contribute to this proposed vulnerability factor. The most prominent model of mechanisms underlying OGM to date is Williams et al.'s (2007) CaR-FA-X model. This model proposes that three processes influence OGM: capture and rumination, functional avoidance, and impaired executive control. The author reviews the current state of support for the CaR-FA-X model by evaluating 38 studies that have examined OGM and one or more mechanisms of the model. Collectively, these studies reveal robust support for associations between OGM and both rumination and impaired executive control. OGM also appears to be a cognitive avoidance strategy, and there is evidence that avoiding the retrieval of specific memories reduces distress after an aversive event, at least in the short term. Important issues that have been left unresolved are highlighted, including the nature of the capture phenomenon, the role of trauma in functional avoidance, and the developmental nature of functional avoidance. Recommendations for future research that will enhance understanding of the factors that contribute to OGM are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Sumner
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Swift Hall, Suite 102, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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Haddad ADM, Williams JMG, McTavish SFB, Harmer CJ. Low-dose tryptophan depletion in recovered depressed women induces impairments in autobiographical memory specificity. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2009; 207:499-508. [PMID: 19813003 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-009-1693-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2009] [Accepted: 09/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressed patients perform poorly on tests of autobiographical memory specificity (AMS); this may have negative consequences for other important cognitive abilities, delays recovery from mood episodes, and, in recovered patients, may mediate vulnerability to future episodes. Although the cognitive mechanisms underlying AMS deficits are beginning to be understood, the neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. Serotonin is implicated in both depression and long-term memory; therefore, temporary lowering of brain serotonin function via acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) offers a means of studying the role of serotonin in autobiographical memory specificity. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, 24 previously depressed women underwent low-dose ATD or sham depletion and completed tests of initial and delayed memory, recollection- and familiarity-based recognition, and AMS. RESULTS ATD did not differentially affect state mood. Compared with sham depletion, ATD impaired immediate recall on the Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Although ATD did not differentially impair recollection- and familiarity-based recognition, it did slow recognition of positive words. ATD also reduced autobiographical memory specificity in response to negative cue words. DISCUSSION The results confirm previous findings that low-dose ATD can reinstate depression-congruent biases in cognition without causing depressive mood in vulnerable populations. The ATD-induced reduction in memory specificity suggests that serotonergic dysfunction may mediate depressive deficits in autobiographical memory; the interaction of cognitive and neurobiological vulnerability mechanisms is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneke D M Haddad
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK.
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