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Crawley, Rosalind (2014) Trait mindfulness and autobiographical memory specificity. Cognitive Processing. ISSN 1612-4782

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Abstract

Abstract

Training in mindfulness skills has been shown to increase autobiographical memory specificity. The aim of this study was to examine whether there is also an association between individual differences in trait mindfulness and memory specificity using a non-clinical student sample (N = 70). Also examined were the relationships between other memory characteristics and trait mindfulness, self-reported depression and rumination. Participants wrote about 12 autobiographical memories, which were recalled in response to emotion word cues in a minimal instruction version of the Autobiographical Memory Test, rated each memory for seven characteristics, and completed the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, and the Ruminative Responses Scale. Higher rumination scores were associated with more reliving and more intense emotion during recall. Depression scores were not associated with any memory variables. Higher trait mindfulness was associated with lower memory specificity and with more intense and more positive emotion during recall. Thus, trait mindfulness is associated with memory specificity, but the association is opposite to that found in mindfulness training studies. It is suggested that this difference may be due to an influence of trait mindfulness on memory encoding as well as retrieval processes and an influence on the mode of self-awareness that leads to a greater focus on momentary rather than narrative self-reference.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Individual differences; Trait mindfulness; Memory specificity; Rumination; Autobiographical memory
Depositing User: Hannah Dodd
URI: https://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/id/eprint/5074

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Uncontrolled Keywords
Individual differences; Trait mindfulness; Memory specificity; Rumination; Autobiographical memory
Depositing User

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Item ID
5074
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ISSN
1612-4782

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Date Deposited
27 Aug 2014 13:39
Last Modified
26 Nov 2025 09:09

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Author
Rosalind Crawley

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