Autobiographical memory specificity and the persistence of depressive symptoms in HIV-positive patients: Rumination and social problem-solving skills as mediators

Based on recent research with young, depressed adults, age-related cognitive declines and decreased autobiographical specificity were hypothesized to predict poorer social problem-solving ability in older than in younger healthy adults. Priming autobiographical memory (ABM) was hypothesized to improve social problem-solving performance for older adults. Subsequent to cognitive tests, old and young participants’ specific ABMs were tested using a cued recall task, followed by a social problem-solving task. The order of the tasks was counterbalanced to test for a priming effect. Autobiographical specificity was related to cognitive ability and predicted social problem-solving ability for both age groups. However, priming of ABM did not improve social problem-solving ability for older or younger adults. This study provides support for the hypothesis that autobiographical memory serves a directive function across the life-span.

Download Full-text

Autobiographical memory specificity and mnemonic discrimination

10.31234/osf.io/6rcf7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Noboru Matsumoto ◽

Masanori Kobayashi ◽

Keisuke Takano

Keyword(s):

Autobiographical Memory ◽

Social Problem Solving ◽

Pattern Separation ◽

Integrative Model ◽

Context Information ◽

Neural Basis ◽

Everyday Functioning ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Memory Specificity ◽

Autobiographical Memory Specificity

Autobiographical memory specificity (AMS), which is the tendency to recall events that occurred at a particular time and place, enables everyday functioning, such as well-being and social problem-solving skills. A mechanism that may be important for AMS, hinting at the neural basis, is the possibility that pattern separation of similar events contributes to AMS. Pattern separation is an essential component of episodic memory and may allow us to encode and retain the unique aspects of events, making it easier to retrieve event-specific knowledge during retrieval. We examined the hypothesis that poor pattern separation is associated with a low proportion of specific memories and a high proportion of categoric memories derived from a lack of details regarding events. In Experiment 1 (N = 94) and Experiment 2 (preregistered; N = 99), participants completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), which measures AMS, and a pattern separation measure. We coded AMT responses conventionally and then further classified the categoric memory responses based on abstract representations that contained words denoting high frequency and those derived from lacking context information such as when and/or where event occurs. As predicted, the lure discrimination score was positively correlated with specific memories and negatively correlated with categoric memories derived from lacking context information. These results were invariant when controlling for participants’ characteristics, general intelligence, and recognition measures. We propose to distinguish between these two types of general categoric memory and discuss the development of an integrative model of autobiographical memory structure.

Download Full-text

Do Social Support, Stigma, and Social Problem-Solving Skills Predict Depressive Symptoms in People Living With HIV? A Mediation Analysis

Research and Theory for Nursing Practice ◽

10.1891/1541-6577.26.3.182 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 182-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Worawan White ◽

Joan S. Grant ◽

Erica R. Pryor ◽

Norman L. Keltner ◽

David E. Vance ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Social Problem ◽

Social Problem Solving ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

The Relationship

Social support, stigma, and social problem solving may be mediators of the relationship between sign and symptom severity and depressive symptoms in people living with HIV (PLWH). However, no published studies have examined these individual variables as mediators in PLWH. This cross-sectional, correlational study of 150 PLWH examined whether social support, stigma, and social problem solving were mediators of the relationship between HIV-related sign and symptom severity and depressive symptoms. Participants completed self-report questionnaires during their visits at two HIV outpatient clinics in the Southeastern United States. Using multiple regression analyses as a part of mediation testing, social support, stigma, and social problem solving were found to be partial mediators of the relationship between sign and symptom severity and depressive symptoms, considered individually and as a set.

Download Full-text

Personality Disorder Traits as a Moderator of Poor Social Problem-Solving Skills and Depressive Symptoms

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000132 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 103-110 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Erin Sheets ◽

Morganne Kraines

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Social Problem ◽

Social Problem Solving ◽

Self Report ◽

Personality Pathology ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Performance Based Assessment ◽

The Relationship

This investigation examined whether Cluster B and Cluster C personality disorder symptoms moderate the relationship between social problem-solving skills and depressive symptoms. Participants were 102 young adults, assessed for personality disorder traits and depressive symptoms. Participants completed a novel performance-based assessment and a self-report measure of social problem-solving skills. Multiple regression models indicated that at moderate to lower levels of personality pathology, social problem-solving deficits were associated with depressive symptoms, whereas at higher levels of personality pathology there was not a similar relationship. These findings highlight the importance of both social problem-solving approaches and personality characteristics in understanding the complex network of risk factors for depression.

Download Full-text

Remediating Reduced Autobiographical Memory in Healthy Older Adults With Computerized Memory Specificity Training (c-MeST): An Observational Before-After Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.13333 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Kris Martens ◽

Keisuke Takano ◽

Tom J Barry ◽

Jolien Goedleven ◽

Louise Van den Meutter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Autobiographical Memory ◽

Group Training ◽

Web Based ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Memory Specificity ◽

Autobiographical Memory Specificity ◽

Training Protocol

BACKGROUND The ability to retrieve specific autobiographical memories decreases with cognitive aging. This decline is clinically relevant due to its association with impairments in problem solving, daily functioning, and depression. A therapist-delivered group training protocol, Memory Specificity Training (MeST), has been shown to enhance the retrieval of specific memories while ameliorating the impairments and negative outcomes associated with reduced specificity. The therapist-delivered nature of this intervention means it is relatively expensive to deliver and difficult for people with mobility impairments, such as older people, to receive. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to test if a novel, Web-based computerized version of a group training protocol called Memory Specificity Training, has the potential to increase autobiographical memory specificity and impact associated secondary psychological processes. METHODS A total of 21 participants (13 female; mean age 67.05, SD 6.55) who experienced a deficit in retrieving specific autobiographical memory were trained with c-MeST. We assessed memory specificity at preintervention and postintervention, as well as secondary processes such as depressive symptoms, rumination, and problem-solving skills. RESULTS Memory specificity increased significantly after participants completed c-MeST (r=.57). Session-to-session scores indicated that autobiographical memory specificity improved most from the online baseline assessment to the first Web-based session. Symptoms or secondary processes such as problem-solving skills did not change significantly. CONCLUSIONS A Web-based automated individual version of MeST is a feasible, low-cost intervention for reduced memory specificity in healthy older adults. Future studies should clarify the preventive impact of c-MeST in other at-risk sample populations with longer follow-up times.

Download Full-text