Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection
Published on: August 26, 2011
Cognitive avoidance of intrusive memories and autobiographical memory: specificity, autonoetic consciousness, and
Cédric Lemogne1, Loretxu Bergouignan, Pascale Piolino
1CNRS UMR 7593, IFR Neurosciences Pitie-Salpetriere, Department of C-L Psychiatry, European Georges Pompidou Hospital, Assistance publique-Hopitaux de Paris, Paris, France. cedric.lemogne@orange.fr
Abstract:
Autobiographical memory (AM) specificity is impaired in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Previous studies emphasised the role of cognitive avoidance of intrusive memories in this impairment. This study aimed to examine the association of cognitive avoidance of intrusive memories with specificity, autonoetic consciousness, and self-perspective. A total of 38 healthy participants were given the revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) and an AM task designed to assess positive and negative memories regarding specificity, autonoetic consciousness (remember/know procedure), and self-perspective (field/observer procedure). Taking into account age, verbal IQ, mood, harm avoidance, and executive resources, the IES-R avoidance subscale was negatively correlated with specificity and remember responses for positive memories, and with remember and field responses for negative memories. These findings suggest that cognitive avoidance of intrusive memories is associated with a decrease of the episodic components of AM retrieval.
Related Concept Videos
Autobiographical Memory
Explicit Memories
Episodic memory contains information about personally experienced events and is reported as a story. An example of episodic memory is recalling a birthday celebration. This type of memory includes the what, where, and when of an event, as...
Understanding Self-Concept
Subconsciousness and No Awareness
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
Introspection
Repressed Memory

