Influence of memory theme and posttraumatic stress disorder on memory specificity in British and Iranian trauma survivors.
This study investigated the influence of culture, memory theme and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on autobiographical memory specificity in Iranian and British trauma survivors. Participants completed the Autobiographical Memory Test and PTSD Diagnostic Scale. The results indicated that the British group provided significantly more personal-themed memories than the Iranian group, while the Iranian group provided significantly more social-themed memories than the British group. The British group also provided a significantly greater proportion of specific personal-themed and social-themed memories than the Iranian group. Overall, in both cultural groups memory specificity was found to be significantly correlated with PTSD symptoms. These findings provide further evidence that regardless of memory theme, specificity of autobiographical memories function to differentiate the self from others and reaffirm the independent self. They also further highlight that pan-culturally an overgeneral retrieval style may be employed by those with PTSD symptoms.
a Medical Research Council, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit , Cambridge , UK.|b Norwich Medical School , University of East Anglia , Norwich , UK.
Laura
L
Jobson
b Norwich Medical School , University of East Anglia , Norwich , UK.
Sepideh
S
Cheraghi
D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom
Autobiographical Memory; Culture; Memory specificity; Posttraumatic stress disorder