Is it only specificity? : an investigation into the relationship between autobiographical memory and social problem-solving

Autobiographical memory;Problem solving--Social aspects

Dennis, Ashley ; Dritschel, Barbara ; Dritschel, Barbara

University:University of St Andrews

Department:Psychology & Neuroscience (School of)

关键词: Autobiographical memory;    Problem solving--Social aspects;   

Others  :  https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/3635/Thefulltextofthisdocumentisnotavailable.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

来源: DR-NTU

【 摘 要 】

Research suggests that deficits in retrieving specific autobiographical memories(ABMs) relate to deficits in social problem solving (SPS). Williams (1996) proposesdepressed individuals have deficits in SPS because of difficulty accessing relevantinformation stored in specific ABMs. This thesis investigated the relationship betweenSPS and ABM. First, it explored a new version of the Means End Problem Solving task(MEPS; Platt, Spivack, & Bloom, 1975), which incorporates a wider range of socialproblems. Utilizing the MEPS, it examined multi-dimensional SPS across the moodspectrum. Chapters 3 and 5 indicated that depression is associated with general SPSdeficits. However, Chapters 4, 5, and 6 demonstrated that dysphoria is not related to SPSdeficits. Next, the thesis examined the relationship between specific ABM retrievalduring SPS and SPS performance. Chapter 4 attempted to increase specificity of ABMthrough an imagery manipulation but was unsuccessful. Furthermore, specificity did notrelate to SPS performance in Chapters 4, 5, and 6. Additionally, it exploredcharacteristics beyond specificity that may be important to SPS. Although Chapter 5reported differences in the memory characteristics between the control, dysphoric, and depressed groups, none of the characteristics in Chapters 5 and 6 related to SPS. Chapter 6 also found that individuals who reported more automatically retrieving memories performed better at SPS. Chapter 6 examined the relationship between intrusive memories and SPS and found that the more individuals reported memory intrusions, avoided and had negative appraisals of the intrusions over the past week, the poorer they were at SPS. This thesis demonstrates that specificity is not a fundamental component of SPS performance. Instead, generating specific memories and SPS may both rely on effectively utilizing the ABM structure. The thesis emphasizes the importance of exploring mode of retrieval in the relationship between ABM and SPS as well as the relationship between intrusive memories and SPS.