Autobiographical Memory and Emotional Disorders (IN: The Handbook of Emotion and Memory: Research and Theory, edited by S-A Christianson)

The aim of the research reported in this chapter is to investigate memory biases associated with emotional disorders. Suicidal behaviour is used as a paradigm case. Research was started with the assumption that, immediately prior to a crisis, the person does not use available resources & is not amenable to persuasion, partly because he or she can remember nothing but a string of failures, arguments, & disappointments. If this is the case, it is speculated this bias will still be present in many patients immediately after the attempt. (41 refs.)