Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2012 Dec;43 Suppl 1:S32-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.05.007. Epub 2011 Jun 24.
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.
当前的研究考察了具有和不具有压抑应对风格的个体自传体记忆的记忆特异性。似乎可以想象，记忆特异性的降低可能是减少消极体验可及性的一种方式，而压抑应对风格的一个显著特征就是降低消极体验的可及性。因此，研究假设压抑者在回忆消极记忆时会表现出记忆特异性降低。为了研究记忆特异性，参与者（N=103）进行了自传体记忆测试。结果表明，与低焦虑、高焦虑和防御性高焦虑对照组相比，具有压抑应对风格的个体在回忆消极经历时的特异性显著降低。这一结果仅限于消极记忆的提取，因为参与者在积极记忆的特异性上没有差异。这些结果表明，压抑者以过度泛化的方式回忆消极的自传体记忆，可能是为了避免负面情绪。
