2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Cognitive-Clinical Psychological Study on Directive, Self, and Social Functions of Autobiographical Memory in Depression

Research Project

Project/Area Number	20730441
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Clinical psychology
Research Institution	Hirosaki University
Principal Investigator	TAGAMI Kyoko Hirosaki University, 教育学部, 准教授 (80361004)
Project Period (FY)	2008 – 2009
Keywords	心理的障害 / 記憶 / 臨床 / 実験系心理学
Research Abstract	The main purpose of the present study was to investigate how the memories a person has of his or her own life experiences (i.e., autobiographical memory) serve to maintain or recover from depression. It was found that in depression, directive functions (planning for present and future behaviors) do not work effectively, self functions (self-continuity or psychodynamic integrity) are distorted, and social functions (social bonding) are biased. The results suggest that these dysfunctions of autobiographical memory are associated with difficulties in the emotion regulation, which might result in the maintenance of depression.