Preoccupation priming: How repetitive thinking can influence our involuntary memories

Studies have reported that the contents of everyday involuntary autobiographical memories may at times be influenced (primed) by the contents of ongoing preoccupations. However, these studies did not manipulate (nor simulate) preoccupations experimentally, and therefore causal connections between preoccupations and the priming of involuntary memories cannot be established with their findings. The goal of the current study was to establish a causal link between preoccupations and involuntary memory production. Participants in a repetitive thinking group thought about a single topic (food) repeatedly, after which they were engaged in an involuntary memory task (the vigilance task), which contained a handful of food related cues. The performance of repetitive thinking participants on the vigilance task was compared to the performance of control participants, who in place of the repetitive thinking task, thought about various, different topics (e.g., think about setting goals; imagine sitting in a chair). The results showed that compared to the control group, the repetitive thinking group produced more food related involuntary memories, as well as more involuntary memories overall. The results support the idea that one's preoccupations can influence involuntary remembering, and we argue preoccupations can be a priming source for everyday involuntary memories, among other potential sources.