Effect of self-discrepancy on specificity of autobiographical memory retrieval

Abstract

Research using a cue word paradigm has consistently shown that depression, in both adults and adolescents, is associated with difficulties in retrieving specific autobiographical memories. Inspired by previous work stating that depressed feelings are related to a perceived discrepancy between attributes of the actual and the ideal self, the present study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that cues bringing discrepancies between the actual and ideal selves to the foreground might promote or facilitate the recall of overgeneral (instead of specific) autobiographical memories. In two studies adolescents provided autobiographical memories in response to 10 high-discrepant and 10 low-discrepant words. As predicted, results in both studies showed an effect of cue word discrepancy on the specificity of autobiographical memories such that participants retrieved a smaller proportion of specific and a greater proportion of overgeneral memories in response to high-discrepant words as compared to low-discrepant words. The findings are discussed in terms of the self-memory system (SMS) as a conceptual framework of autobiographical memory (Conway & Pleydell-Pearce, 2000).

Rumination relates to reduced autobiographical memory specificity in formerly depressed patients following a self-discrepancy challenge: The case of autobiographical memory specificity reactivity

“…All cue words were personal characteristics (e.g., happy, social, friendly; see Schoofs et al, submitted for publication, for an extended description; also see Schoofs, Hermans, & Raes, 2012). Participants are asked to generate specific memories.…”

Remembering and telling self-consistent and self-discrepant memories

“…While we acknowledge these possibilities, we believe we have neither the data nor a strong enough conceptual basis to speculate how interdependent selfconstrual might have affected different aspects of consistent versus discrepant memories. Just like similar studies comparing conditions/groups in western samples (e.g., Schoofs et al, 2012;Singer et al, 2007), we assumed that these cultural characteristics would affect narratives of self-consistent and self-discrepant memories similarly. Researchers have questioned the validity of Hofstede's dichotomous conceptualisation of individualism versus collectivism (e.g., İmamoğlu, 2003;Kağıtçıbaşı & Berry, 1989;Oyserman et al, 2002) and argued that a given self-construal is unlikely to be true for all members of a given culture to the same degree (İmamoğlu, 2003;Kağıtçıbaşı, 2007;Oyserman et al, 2002).…”

A narrative synthesis of the applicability of the CaR–FA–X model in child and adolescent populations: a systematic review

“…Of the remaining non-clinical studies, six included school community samples (Brennen et al, 2010;Neshat Doost et al, 2014;Raes et al, 2010;Schoofs, Hermans, & Raes, 2012, study 1 & 2;Smets, Griffith, Wessel, Walschaerts, & Raes, 2013). None of Brennen et al's (2010) sample had a current of previous clinical diagnosis, and Schoofs et al (2012), study 1 and 2 removed participants who met criteria for a current major depressive episode. Neshat Doost et al, 2014, Raes et al (2010 and Smets et al (2013) gave no reference to previous or current clinical psychopathology in their samples.…”

“…Of the four studies with significant effects (Park et al, 2004;Schoofs et al, 2012, study 1 & 2), accounted for symptoms of depression and/or mood. Schoofs et al (2012) entered depression scores as a covariate in their analyses and Park et al (2004) reported that correlations between depression scores and changes in OGM with induced rumination were non-significant. Park et al's (2004) findings suggest that the increase in OGM in the MDD group was not due to changes in mood caused by the rumination induction.…”

“…Smets et al (2013) and Smets et al (N.d as cited in Smets et al, 2013) are the only studies to report non-significant effects. The authors employed the Mi-AMT written version, similar to Schoofs et al (2012), and therefore it is unlikely the null findings are due to the version of AMT. Smets et al (2013) used a different scoring algorithm (number, not proportions), however they noted in their paper that the results did not alter when proportions were used instead of the number of memories, suggesting that the null findings are not due to the scoring of the AMT.…”