Autobiographical memory coherence and specificity: Examining their reciprocal relation and their associations with internalizing symptoms and rumination

Vanderveren, Elien; Bijttebier, Patricia; Hermans, Dirk

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2019.02.003

Cited by 32 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In line with this hypothesis, individuals who indicate to engage more in avoidant coping strategies retrieve less specific autobiographical memories [36,37]. Given the overlap, both theoretically and empirically, between memory specificity and memory coherence [16,26], these findings provide some indirect support for our hypothesis.…”

Section: Cognitive Avoidancesupporting

confidence: 68%

“…In addition to being a cognitive skill, research has indicated that memory coherence is dependent on specific characteristics of the event being narrated upon, such as valence, intensity, and time passed since occurrence of the event. For example, memories about negative experiences are generally more coherent than memories about positive experiences [16,66]. So, it appears that memory coherence is an individual difference factor, though dependent on event-specific characteristics as well [65].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 98%

“…In contrast, not being able to create coherent narratives has been related to symptoms of psychopathology. More specifically, various studies have shown low memory coherence to be related to depressive symptoms [15,16], PTSD [17, but 18], eating, and obsessive compulsive disorders [19]. Especially the coherence of narratives describing a negative experience seems to be associated with symptoms of psychopathology [16].…”

Section: Autobiographical Memory Coherencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…More specifically, various studies have shown low memory coherence to be related to depressive symptoms [15,16], PTSD [17, but 18], eating, and obsessive compulsive disorders [19]. Especially the coherence of narratives describing a negative experience seems to be associated with symptoms of psychopathology [16]. However, even though low memory coherence appears to be related to various psychological disorders, knowledge about mechanisms that might explain these relations is scarce.…”

Section: Autobiographical Memory Coherencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2007, Williams and colleagues [4] developed the CaR-FA-X model, which describes three important correlates of memory specificity; rumination, cognitive avoidance, and executive functioning. Given both the theoretical and empirical overlap between memory specificity and memory coherence [16,26], we propose that these constructs might be correlates of the latter as well. However, to understand how these constructs might relate to memory coherence, insight into the steps required to construct a coherent narrative is required.…”

Section: Car-fa-x Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Autobiographical memory coherence in emotional disorders: The role of rumination, cognitive avoidance, executive functioning, and meaning making

2020

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The ability to construct coherent narratives about significant personal experiences, commonly referred to as autobiographical memory coherence, has been related to various emotional disorders, though insight regarding mechanisms that might underlie this relation is scarce. The present study contributes to this growing body of research by examining the relation between memory coherence and both depression and PTSD and by investigating the role of rumination, cognitive avoidance, executive functioning, and meaning making in that relation in a large-scale community sample. The negative relation between memory coherence and both depression and PTSD could not be replicated, nor could the hypothesized negative relation between memory coherence and both rumination and cognitive avoidance be confirmed. In contrast, results indicated more memory coherence to be related to more rumination. Additional analyses in light of these surprising findings revealed that there was a significant indirect relation between memory coherence and both depression and PTSD-related symptoms through rumination. When the latter was controlled for, memory coherence was predictive of PTSD diagnosis and the hypothesized negative association with cognitive avoidance could be confirmed. In line with predictions, both executive functioning and meaning making were positively related to memory coherence. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

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Section: Cognitive Avoidancesupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Autobiographical Memory Coherencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Autobiographical Memory Coherencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Car-fa-x Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Autobiographical memory coherence in emotional disorders: The role of rumination, cognitive avoidance, executive functioning, and meaning making

2020

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It's all in the details: An investigation of the subcomponents of narrative coherence in relation to mental health

Vanaken

Vanderveren

Waters

et al. 2021

Applied Cognitive Psychology

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The coherence of autobiographical narratives is suggested to be reflective of individuals' mental health. However, inconsistencies in results are regularly observed. Therefore, in this study, the Narrative Coherence Coding Scheme (NaCCS) by Reese et al. (Journal of Cognition and Development, 12, 424–462) was deconstructed and every dimension of coherence was recoded into singular constituting subcomponents. Our new fine‐grained scoring scheme allowed us to investigate which particular subcomponents of coherence may be important in the relation to mental health. Data showed that both structural as well as thematic elements of coherence, with in particular the number of emotional elaborations, were important in the association with mental health. Therefore, we recommend for future research to use this specific coding scheme, including most notably the number of emotional elaborations, in order to obtain the most accurate prediction of mental health, to test the replicability of these preliminary findings and to guide targets for narrative‐based interventions.

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Well‐being during COVID‐19‐related first lockdown: Relationship with autobiographical memory and experiential diversity

Folville

Willems

Cheriet

et al. 2023

Applied Cognitive Psychology

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In March 2020, the Belgian government ordered a complete lockdown as an attempt to decrease the progression of the COVID‐19. The aim of the present study was to examine lockdown‐related changes in psycho‐affective states as well as their relations with experiential diversity and autobiographical memory. A total of 186 Belgian citizens completed an online survey assessing lockdown‐related changes in various dimensions: work, leisure activities, affective state, sleep quality, fatigue, and autobiographical memory. Results revealed that well‐being during the lockdown was related to changes in experiential diversity and to the richness of participants' memories. Moreover, the content and the phenomenology of memories were more negative when memories pertained to the lockdown situation. These findings provide new evidence that mental well‐being of Belgian citizens during the first lockdown was related to how pandemic‐related sanitary constraints affected the diversity of activities that they could undertake.

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Autobiographical memory coherence and specificity: Examining their reciprocal relation and their associations with internalizing symptoms and rumination

Cited by 32 publications

References 33 publications

Autobiographical memory coherence in emotional disorders: The role of rumination, cognitive avoidance, executive functioning, and meaning making

Autobiographical memory coherence in emotional disorders: The role of rumination, cognitive avoidance, executive functioning, and meaning making

It's all in the details: An investigation of the subcomponents of narrative coherence in relation to mental health

Well‐being during COVID‐19‐related first lockdown: Relationship with autobiographical memory and experiential diversity

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