Unconscious memory bias in depression: Perceptual and conceptual processes.

Abstract

Mood-congruent memory (MCM) bias in depression was investigated using 4 different implicit memory tests. Two of the implicit tests were perceptually driven, and 2 were conceptually driven. Depressed participants and nondepressed controls were assigned to 1 of 4 implicit memory tests after studying positive and negative adjectives. Results showed no MCM bias in the perceptually driven tests. MCM was demonstrated in 1 of the conceptually driven tests, but only for adjectives that were conceptually encoded. Results support the theory that mood-congruent processes in depression are limited to conceptual processing. However, activation of conceptual processes may not be sufficient for demonstrating mood congruency.

Memory for Emotional Picture Cues During Acute Alcohol Intoxication

“…This raises the possibility that the block design of the learning phase in this study acted in much the same way as the use of an emotionally relevant categorization task in LaBar et al (2005); that is, both may have acted to enhance conceptual elaboration of the emotional content of negative stimuli. This idea is consistent with the mood-congruent bias in conceptually driven implicit memory noted in individuals with depression (Watkins et al, 2000) and provides preliminary support for these mood-congruent effects in a healthy, nonclinical sample. The reason that this emotional bias in priming was not observed for the positive picture cues is unclear but warrants further examination.…”

How valence affects language processing: Negativity bias and mood congruence in narrative comprehension

“…For example, in visual searches, negative stimuli are detected faster (see, e.g., Hansen & Hansen, 1988) because the attentioncapturing quality of negative information makes negative stimuli easier to detect. However, in tasks such as Stroop or lexical decision, negative words are associated with longer latencies, because attention is disengaged more slowly from negative words (e.g., Estes & Adelman, 2008;Pratto & John, 1991). As a consequence, responses to other aspects of the stimulus, such as its color or lexical status, become more difficult.…”

Short-term social isolation induces depressive-like behaviour and reinstates the retrieval of an aversive task: Mood-congruent memory in male mice?

“…However, this MCM has been primarily reported in patients who were clinically depressed. [8][9][10]26,27 As memory processing takes place during the same depressive state, the MCM could be related to the state-dependent phenomenon. 28 In statedependency, the endogenous context -a physiologic state, is incorporated into the conglomerate of memory attributes, exerting control over retrieval.…”

“…6 Mood-congruent memory (MCM) appears to be a robust phenomenon in depression, being associated with enhanced recall of negative information. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Indeed, some have proposed that MCM might be an important maintenance mechanism in depression. 12 To our knowledge, MCM has not been investigated in animals, despite an impressive volume of clinical and psychological support for this phenomenon.…”