Objectives: Specificity impairment is a memory alteration that occurs in people with major depressive disorder (MDD). In this investigation, we intended to shine a light on obscure aspects of executive resource and capture and rumination frameworks to determine whether these theories are reliable in predicting underlying mechanisms for specificity impairment.
Methods: In this correlational research, we used the convenience sampling method over two months, between January and February 2021. We administrated the digit span working memory test, ruminative response scale (RRS), and autobiographical memory interview to indicate whether working memory capacity and subtypes of rumination can predict memory specificity in people with MDD. Using RRS enabled us to determine the correlation between subtypes of rumination and memory specificity.
Results: Our samples consisted of 105 adults (53 males (50.5%) and 52 females (49.5%)) with MDD. The participants’ mean age was 33.38 years with a range of 22-43 years. The results no significant difference between gender, marriage, and age groups in terms of memory specificity (P>0.05). The results of the Spearman correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis showed that only working memory capacity can predict memory specificity (r=0.216, p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between brooding and reflection, as two subtypes of rumination and memory specificity.
Discussion: In line with our results, it should be stated that depression is accompanied by executive deficits, which result in memory impairments. These impairments are due to the structural and functional alterations in the brain in the depressed group. As the Carfax model emphasized, working memory capacity is not only required to maintain, define, and hold the optimal retrieval model but it is also crucial to inhibit interfering autobiographical information. Nonetheless, neither brooding nor reflection rumination can predict memory specificity. Therefore, memory capacity is probably occupied due to ineffective search strategies, not rumination.
Coresponding author: Pouria Rahgosha, E-mail: pouria_rahgosha@yahoo.com
Full-Text [PDF 478 kb]
(484 Downloads)
| |
Full-Text (HTML) (202 Views)
• This investigation was conducted on depressed individuals to examine the underlying mechanisms for memory specificity impairment in this population.
• Working memory capacity was determined as a predictor of specificity impairment.
• Our results supported the credibility of the executive resource hypothesis, which in turn encourages clinical psychologists to target executive dysfunctions to address reduced specificity.
Plain Language Summary
People who suffer from depression find it difficult to remember memories in full detail. Because memories are so important for problem-solving as well as for therapeutic purposes, a growing number of researchers have investigated the causes of this problem. There are some popular ideas about the possible role of intrusive thoughts and short-term memory capacity limitation in the occurrence of this memory problem. Some psychologists argue that failure in accessing detailed memories occurs since depressed people are prone to the invasion of irrelevant information while trying to remember a memory. Other researchers maintain that this memory problem is a result of short-term memory capacity limitation. Accordingly, depressed people fail to maintain information while trying to remember memories. Our results are aligned with the viewpoint of the second group of researchers.
Article type:
Original Research Articles |
Subject:
Psychology Received: 2022/07/7 | Accepted: 2023/03/14 | Published: 2023/09/6
Send email to the article author