What is the Nature of the Self-defining Memories of Repression-prone Individuals?

Abstract

The present study investigates the ability to predict various self-defining memory dimensions from individual differences in repressiveness, operationalized by high levels of defensiveness and low levels of trait anxiety. Three self-defining memories from 83 participants (aged between 27 and 43 years) recruited from the general population were analyzed with multilevel models. The main results showed that repression-prone individuals, relative to more adjusted individuals, retrieved more specific self-defining memories and were less likely to extract meanings from their personal memories. Moreover, self-threatening, self-defining memories of repression-prone individuals contained fewer negative emotional words than did those of more adjusted individuals. These results are discussed in light of a recent affect-regulation view of emotional autobiographical memories.

Keywords:

• Self-defining memories
• Repression
• Memory specificity
• Memory integration
• Affect regulation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Claudia Lardi

We thank Chantal Thévenoz Burnand and Emilie Skrebers for help with the data collection and memory coding