Autobiographical Memory and Emotional Disorders

Autobiographical memory overgenerality has been found
to influence depression and parasuicidal patients
fairly consistently, and for quite some years now.
However, anxiety disorder individuals have been found
to be quite specific in reporting their
autobiograpbical memories. Using the Clark and Wells'
(1995) model of social anxiety, with its focus on the
self at the centre of the disorder, this work has
established a direct link with overgenerality for
socially anxious sufferers. In an experimental
paradigm, participants were primed to self-focus
prior to completing Williams' (2002) autobiographical
memory task, to establish whether the same effect was
present as is typically the case for depressed
patients. The priming manipulation drew out the
overgenerality effect in the case of socially anxious
individuals. The consequence of this is strong
recommendations that the overgenerality dysfunction
of memory should be considered in terms of therapy
for social anxiety.

Autorentext

Janet M. Dickson, Doctor of Psychology (Counselling), Dip Ed, DipSch Couns. Studied at University of Queensland and SwinburneUniversity of Technology in Australia. Discipline Leader andSenior Lecturer in Psychology at Faculty of Higher Education,Lilydale, Australia.

Klappentext

Autobiographical memory overgenerality has been foundto influence depression and parasuicidal patientsfairly consistently, and for quite some years now.However, anxiety disorder individuals have been foundto be quite specific in reporting theirautobiograpbical memories. Using the Clark and Wells'(1995) model of social anxiety, with its focus on theself at the centre of the disorder, this work hasestablished a direct link with overgenerality forsocially anxious sufferers. In an experimentalparadigm, participants were primed to self-focusprior to completing Williams' (2002) autobiographicalmemory task, to establish whether the same effect waspresent as is typically the case for depressedpatients. The priming manipulation drew out theovergenerality effect in the case of socially anxiousindividuals. The consequence of this is strongrecommendations that the overgenerality dysfunctionof memory should be considered in terms of therapyfor social anxiety.