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Retrieval-induced forgetting deficits in high anxious individuals
1Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK. j.saunders@swan.ac.uk
Memory (Hove, England)
|August 22, 2012
Summary
High anxious individuals show impaired memory inhibition for negative self-descriptive traits, suggesting a deficit in suppressing unwanted anxious thoughts and memories.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- High anxiety is linked to memory biases for self-threatening information.
- This bias may stem from an inhibitory deficit, hindering the suppression of negative thoughts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate memory inhibition differences in high and low anxious individuals.
- To examine whether retrieval practice affects recall of neutral versus negative self-descriptive traits.
Main Methods:
- Participants rated neutral and negative self-descriptive traits.
- Retrieval practice was applied to either neutral or negative traits (Experiment 1 & 2).
- Cued-recall assessed memory for all traits.
Main Results:
- Low anxious individuals showed retrieval-induced forgetting (inhibition) for both trait types.
- High anxious individuals exhibited inhibition for neutral traits but not negative traits.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest an inhibitory deficit in high anxious individuals, particularly for negative self-referential material.
- This deficit may contribute to the maintenance of anxiety through persistent negative memories.
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