The Impact of Mood and Self-focus on Recall of Autobiographical Memories

The study presented in this book focuses on the influence that mood and self focus have on recall of autobiographical memory (AM) specificity. While former works outlined the trait characteristics of AM recall, newer studies demonstrate that recall of AM is modifiable. However, temporal stability and deliberate manipulation are not necessarily antagonisms. While temporal stability provides valuable diagnostic knowledge, as a basic principle modification promises effective therapeutic interventions. In the introduction the author gives a summary over the previous results on AM specificity research and discusses them in the context of theories that explain retrieval mechanisms (descriptions theory, constructivism, executive functions). Then she gives empirical evidence of the detrimental and benefical effects of self-focus with regard to the linkage between mood and memory. In an experimental approach she then investigates how rumination and self-reflection as well as positive and negative mood influence recall of specific autobiographical memories and discusses the results in the context of the mood congruency and the mnemonic interlock paradigms.