Trends in Research on Self-Reference, Depression, and the Self-Referent Encoding Task: A Critical Review

Abstract

Understanding how people refer to themselves allows for a deeper understanding of mood and the actions individuals take. The self-referent encoding task (SRET) has been used in clinical psychological science to measure differences in self-referent thought and memory bias relating to depression, self-esteem, and self-memory. This review critically explores the history and function of the SRET, especially as connected to depressive symptoms, and covers possible future topics of research. Four major areas of SRET research are identified: (1) memory and memory bias, (2) neuroimaging and electroencephalographic recording, (3) longitudinal or developmental paradigms, and (4) personality and self-esteem. I address criticisms of the SRET, including replicability and psychometric validity. Future directions for research using the SRET may aim to identify ideal paradigms, use the SRET as a marker of change in depression, and fully disentangle its possible outcomes.