Associations between components of rumination and autobiographical memory specificity as measured by a Minimal Instructions Autobiographical Memory Test

Abstract

Clinical studies have shown that rumination functions as a mediator between overgeneral memory-the tendency to retrieve autobiographical memories in a non-specific format-and depression. Recently, rumination has been dismantled into two distinct subcomponents: reflection, which is more adaptive, and brooding, which is more maladaptive. In the present study we examined the differential relationships of these two rumination subcomponents with autobiographical memory specificity and their mediational role for the relationship between reduced memory specificity and depression in a non-clinical sample. In addition, we investigated the usefulness of a "minimal instructions" version of the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) to measure memory specificity in non-clinical populations. Results indicated that the use of minimal instructions can increase the AMT's sensitivity to detect reduced autobiographical memory specificity in non-clinical individuals. Further it was found that brooding, and not reflection, is significantly associated with reduced autobiographical memory specificity and functions as a mediator between reduced memory specificity and depression.

Trait mindfulness and autobiographical memory specificity

“…The next most common were categoric memories followed by extended memories, with very few semantic associates or omissions. This is similar to the pattern of responses reported by Debeer et al (2009) who used the same minimal instruction version of the AMT with a non-clinical sample.…”

“…This version is more appropriate for and sensitive to specificity variation in non-clinical samples than the traditional AMT (Debeer, Hermans and Raes 2009;Griffith et al 2009Griffith et al , 2012. Following general instructions to recall and write about memories for personally experienced events, participants were asked to write down a memory in response to each of 12 emotion word cues.…”

“…Memories were categorised using the same procedure as Debeer et al (2009). First, without reference to the participants' categorisation, an independent rater used the participants' written memory descriptions to categorise them as specific, categoric, extended, semantic associate (general semantic information associated with the cue), omission (no response within the time limit), unsure (the memory could plausibly belong to more than one category) or other (all other responses).…”

“…Omissions have sometimes been included in the denominator when calculating proportions but were excluded here following Debeer et al (2009) because, as Griffith et al (2012) pointed out, their meaning is unclear. An omission may mean no memory was retrieved in the time limit or that one was retrieved but, for a variety of reasons, was not reported.…”

Review: Does maladaptive repetitive thinking affect characteristics of mental time travel?

“…As can be seen from the above, studies using non-clinical samples appear to have slightly more non-significant results than studies using clinical samples. It has been suggested that this is due to ceiling effects, since participants are given extensive instructions and examples in the AMT, which may make the task too easy for healthy individuals who might otherwise show a tendency towards reduced specificity (Debeer, Hermans & Raes, 2009 Psychology, 65:2, 137-165, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080Psychology, 65:2, 137-165, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10. /19012276.2013 completing a sentence stem probing overgeneral or specific memories.…”