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Reduced autobiographical memory specificity, avoidance, and repression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2006

Dirk Hermans*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, 3000Leuven, Belgiumhttp://ppw.kuleuven.be/leerpsy/dirk/
Filip Raes*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, 3000Leuven, Belgiumhttp://ppw.kuleuven.be/leerpsy/dirk/
Carlos Iberico*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, 3000Leuven, Belgiumhttp://ppw.kuleuven.be/leerpsy/dirk/
J. Mark G. Williams*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, United Kingdom

Abstract:

Recent empirical work indicates that reduced autobiographical memory specificity can act as an avoidant processing style. By truncating the memory search before specific elements of traumatic memories are accessed, one can ward off the affective impact of negative reminiscences. This avoidant processing style can be viewed as an instance of what Erdelyi describes as the “subtractive” class of repressive processes.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

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