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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

A Real-world What-Where-When Memory Test

A Real-world What-Where-When Memory Test

Published on: May 16, 2017

Does overgeneral autobiographical memory result from poor memory for task instructions?

Paula K Yanes¹, John E Roberts, Erica L Carlos

¹University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, NY 14260, USA.

Memory (Hove, England)

|July 9, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Difficulty remembering instructions, not just emotional regulation, may cause overgeneral autobiographical memories (OGM). A reminder improved memory specificity, suggesting instruction recall is key for autobiographical memory tests.

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Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory

Published on: June 14, 2019

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Neuroscience

Background:

Overgeneral autobiographical memories (OGM) are linked to emotional disorders and trauma.
Existing theories propose OGM aids negative affect regulation.
An alternative explanation is "secondary goal neglect," where task instructions are forgotten.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the association between OGM and poor recall of task instructions.
To determine if reminding participants of instructions improves memory specificity.

Main Methods:

Employed multilevel modeling to analyze the relationship between instruction recall and OGM.
Utilized the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) with and without instruction reminders.
Compared memory specificity between a reminder group and a control group.

Main Results:

A significant association was found between poor instruction recall and increased OGM retrieval.
Providing an instruction reminder for the AMT immediately improved memory specificity.
Results support the role of working memory and instruction adherence in OGM.

Conclusions:

Difficulties in maintaining task instructions (secondary goal neglect) contribute to OGM.
Instruction reminders can enhance memory specificity in individuals prone to OGM.
This finding offers a new perspective on the cognitive mechanisms underlying OGM.