Trait rumination and inhibitory deficits in long-term memory

Abstract

Prior research has shown that individuals who tend to ruminate about dysphoric moods have difficulties with inhibitory processes in working memory (Joormann, 2006; Whitmer & Banich, 2007). The goals of the current study were to determine if these inhibitory deficits (1) also affect processes in long-term memory (LTM) and (2), if so, whether they are associated specifically with depressive rumination or also with other forms of rumination. To examine inhibitory processes in LTM, we used a retrieval-induced forgetting paradigm. In this paradigm, the practised retrieval of certain memories causes the inhibition of related but unpractised memories. In our non-clinical population, reduced inhibition was associated not only with the tendency to depressively ruminate but also with tendencies to angrily ruminate and to ruminate more generally. These findings suggesting that ruminators’ inhibitory deficits affect retrieval of information from LTM and that such deficits are not specific to depressive rumination.

Keywords:

• Rumination
• Inhibition
• Depression
• Memory
• Retrieval-induced forgetting