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Related Experiment Videos

Decentring and distraction reduce overgeneral autobiographical memory in depression.

E Watkins1, J D Teasdale, R M Williams

  • 1Department of Psychology, De Crespigny Park, Institute of Psychiatry, London.

Psychological Medicine
|October 19, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Cognitive interventions like distraction and decentering questions can reduce categorical autobiographical memories in dysphoric individuals. This suggests that overgeneral memory in depression is modifiable through brief cognitive strategies.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Elevated recall of categorical autobiographical memories is linked to depression and PTSD, indicating a poor prognosis.
  • This overgeneral memory pattern persists even after depression remission but may be influenced by rumination and cognitive interventions.
  • This study investigated the impact of cognitive manipulations on categorical memory recall in dysphoric participants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if cognitive manipulations, specifically distraction and decentering, can influence the recall of categorical autobiographical memories in dysphoric individuals.
  • To explore the role of rumination versus distraction in modulating overgeneral memory.
  • To assess the efficacy of decentering questions in reducing categorical memory recall.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Forty-eight dysphoric and depressed participants were randomly assigned to either a rumination or distraction condition.
  • The Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) was administered before and after the manipulation to measure overgeneral memory.
  • Participants then underwent a second AMT after being randomized to either a 'decentring' question or a control question condition.

Main Results:

  • Distraction significantly reduced the proportion of categorical memories recalled compared to rumination.
  • Decentering questions led to a significant decrease in categorical memory recall, independent of the preceding manipulation.
  • These findings indicate that brief cognitive interventions can modify categorical memory recall.

Conclusions:

  • The elevated categorical memory observed in depression is more amenable to change than previously thought.
  • This cognitive style appears to be dynamically maintained and can be interrupted by targeted, brief cognitive interventions.
  • Cognitive strategies like distraction and decentering offer potential therapeutic avenues for addressing overgeneral memory in depression.