Specificity in autobiographical memory narratives correlates with performance on the Autobiographical Memory Test and prospectively predicts depressive symptoms

Memory

Volumn 21, Issue 6, 2013, Pages 646-656

  Sumner, Jennifer A ^a   Mineka, Susan ^a   McAdams, Dan P ^a  

^a NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Autobiographical memory specificity; Autobiographical Memory Test; Depression; Narrative; Overgeneral autobiographical memory

Indexed keywords

EID: 84880942286     PISSN: 09658211     EISSN: 14640686     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2012.746372     Document Type: Article

References (31)

1. Blagov, P. S. and Singer, J. A. 2004. Four dimensions of self-defining memories (specificity, meaning, content, and affect) and their relationships to self-restraint, distress, and repressive defensiveness. Journal of Personality, 72: 481 - 511. doi: 10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00270.x
2. Boritz, T. Z., Angus, L., Monette, G. and Hollis-Walker, L. 2008. An empirical analysis of autobiographical memory specificity subtypes in brief emotion-focused and client-centered treatments of depression. Psychotherapy Research, 18: 584 - 593. doi: 10.1080/10503300802123245
3. Crane, C., Barnhofer, T. and Williams, J. M. G. 2007. Cue self-relevance affects autobiographical memory specificity in individuals with a history of major depression. Memory, 15: 312 - 323. doi: 10.1080/09658210701256530
4. Dalgleish, T., Williams, J. M. G., Golden, A. J., Perkins, N., Barrett, L. F. Barnard, P. J. 2007. Reduced specificity of autobiographical memory and depression: The role of executive control. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 136: 23 - 42. doi: 10.1037/0096-3445.136.1.23
5. D'Argembeau, A., Van Der Linden, M., Verbanck, P. and Noël, X. 2006. Autobiographical memory in non-amnesic alcohol-dependent patients. Psychological Medicine, 36: 1707 - 1715. doi: 10.1017/S0033291706008798
6. Debeer, E., Hermans, D. and Raes, F. 2009. Associations between components of rumination and autobiographical memory specificity as measured by a Minimal Instructions Autobiographical Memory Test. Memory, 17: 892 - 903. doi: 10.1080/09658210903376243
7. Gibbs, B. R. and Rude, S. S. 2004. Overgeneral autobiographical memory as depression vulnerability. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 28: 511 - 526. doi: 10.1023/B:COTR.0000045561.72997.7c
8. Goddard, L., Dritschel, B. and Burton, A. 1996. Role of autobiographical memory in social problem solving and depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105: 609 - 616. doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.105.4.609
9. Griffith, J. W., Kleim, B., Sumner, J. A. and Ehlers, A. 2012. The factor structure of the Autobiographical Memory Test in recent trauma survivors. Psychological Assessment, 24: 640 - 646. doi: 10.1037/a0026510
10. Griffith, J. W., Sumner, J. A., Debeer, E., Raes, F., Hermans, D. Mineka, S. 2009. An item-response theory/confirmatory factor analysis of the Autobiographical Memory Test. Memory, 17: 609 - 623. doi: 10.1080/09658210902939348
11. Hardtke, K. K. 2008. The story-teller, the story and change: A narrative exploration of outcome in brief experiential treatments for depression. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B. Sciences and Engineering, 68 (7): 4826
12. Hermans, D., Vandromme, H., Debeer, E., Raes, F., Demyttenaere, K. Brunfaut, E. 2008. Overgeneral autobiographical memory predicts diagnostic status in depression. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 46: 668 - 677. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2008.01.018
13. Heron, J., Crane, C., Gunnell, D., Lewis, G., Evans, J. and Williams, J. M. G. 2012. 40,000 memories in young teenagers: Psychometric properties of the Autobiographical Memory Test in a UK cohort study. Memory, 20: 300 - 320. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2012.656846
14. Jansari, A. and Parkin, A. J. 1996. Things that go bump in your life: Explaining the reminiscence bump in autobiographical memory. Psychology and Aging, 11: 85 - 91. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.11.1.85
15. McAdams, D. P. 2008. " Personal narratives and the life story ". In Handbook of personality, Edited by: John, O. P., Robins, R. W. and Pervin, L. A. 242 - 264. New York: Guilford Press.
16. Moffit, K. H. and Singer, J. A. 1994. Continuity in the life story: Self-defining memories, affect, and approach/avoidance personal strivings. Journal of Personality, 62: 21 - 43. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.1994.tb00793.x
17. Moffitt, K. H., Singer, J. A., Nelligan, D. W., Carlson, M. A. and Vyse, S. A. 1994. Depression and memory narrative type. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103: 581 - 583. doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.103.3.581
18. Piolino, P., Desgranges, B. and Eustache, F. 2009. Episodic autobiographical memories over the course of time: Cognitive, neuropsychological and neuroimaging findings. Neuropsychologia, 47: 2314 - 2329. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.01.020
19. Preacher, K. J., Rucker, D. D., MacCallum, R. C. and Nicewander, W. A. 2005. Use of the extreme groups approach: A critical reexamination and new recommendations. Psychological Methods, 10: 178 - 192. doi: 10.1037/1082-989X.10.2.178
20. Raes, F., Hermans, D., Williams, J. M. G., Beyers, W., Brunfaut, E. and Eelen, P. 2006. Reduced autobiographical memory specificity and rumination in predicting the course of depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115: 699 - 704. doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.115.4.699
21. Raes, F., Hermans, D., Williams, J. M. G. and Eelen, P. 2007. A sentence completion procedure as an alternative to the Autobiographical Memory Test for assessing overgeneral memory in non-clinical populations. Memory, 15: 495 - 507. doi: 10.1080/09658210701390982
22. Raes, F., Williams, J. M. G. and Hermans, D. 2009. Reducing cognitive vulnerability to depression: A preliminary investigation of MEmory Specificity Training (MEST) in inpatients with depressive symptomatology. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 40: 24 - 38. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2008.03.001
23. Rottenberg, J., Joormann, J., Brozovich, F. and Gotlib, I.H. 2005. Emotional intensity of idiographic sad memories in depression predicts symptom levels 1 year later. Emotion, 5: 238 - 242. doi: 10.1037/1528-3542.5.2.238
24. Singer, J. A., & Blagov, P. S. 2001. Classification system and scoring manual for self-defining autobiographical memories [coding scheme]. Manual obtained with request from Jefferson Singer.
25. Singer, J. A. and Moffitt, K. H. 1991-1992. An experimental investigation of specificity and generality in memory narratives. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 11: 233 - 257. doi: 10.2190/72A3-8UPY-GDB9-GX9K
26. Sumner, J. A., Griffith, J. W. and Mineka, S. 2010. Overgeneral autobiographical memory as a predictor of the course of depression: A meta-analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48: 614 - 625. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2010.03.013
27. van Minnen, A., Wessel, I., Verhaak, C. and Smeenk, J. 2005. The relationship between autobiographical memory specificity and depressed mood following a stressful life event: A prospective study. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44: 405 - 415. doi: 10.1348/014466505X29648
28. Williams, J. M. G., Barnhofer, T., Crane, C., Hermans, D., Raes, F. Watkins, E. 2007. Autobiographical memory specificity and emotional disorder. Psychological Bulletin, 133: 122 - 148. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.122
29. Williams, J. M. G. and Broadbent, K. 1986. Autobiographical memory in suicide attempters. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95: 144 - 149. doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.95.2.144
30. Williams, J. M. G., Ellis, N. C., Tyers, C., Healy, H., Rose, G. and MacLeod, A. K. 1996. The specificity of autobiographical memory and imageability of the future. Memory & Cognition, 24: 116 - 125. doi: 10.3758/BF03197278
31. Zimmerman, M., Sheeran, T. and Young, D. 2004. The diagnostic inventory for depression: A self-report scale to diagnose DSM-IV major depressive disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60: 87 - 110. doi: 10.1002/jclp.10207