title: Reduced specificity of negative autobiographical memories in repressive coping.
abstract: The current study examined memory specificity of autobiographical memories in individuals with and without a repressive coping style. It seems conceivable that reduced memory specificity may be a way to reduce accessibility of negative experiences, one of the hallmark features of a repressive coping style. It was therefore hypothesized that repressors would show reduced specificity when retrieving negative memories. In order to study memory specificity, participants (N = 103) performed the autobiographical memory test. Results showed that individuals with a repressive coping style were significantly less specific in retrieving negative experiences, relative to control groups of low anxious, high anxious, and defensive high anxious individuals. This result was restricted to negative memory retrieval, as participants did not differ in memory specificity for positive experiences. These results show that repressors retrieve negative autobiographical memories in an overgeneral way, possibly in order to avoid negative affect.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. geraerts@fsw.eur.nl
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Geraerts
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dritschel
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kreplin
authors.forename: Liv
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waddington
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011939:Mental Recall; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult