Bayesian evaluation of diverging theories of episodic and affective memory distortions in dysphoria.

ABSTRACT: People suffering from dysphoria retrieve autobiographical memories distorted in content and affect, which may contribute to the aetiology and maintenance of depression. However, key memory difficulties in dysphoria remain elusive because theories disagree how memories of different valence are altered. Here, we assessed the psychophysiological expression of affect and retrieved episodic detail while participants with dysphoria (but without a diagnosed mental illness) and participants without dysphoria relived positive, negative, and neutral memories. We show that participants with dysphoria retrieve positive memories with diminished episodic detail and negative memories with enhanced detail, compared to participants without dysphoria. This is in line with negativity bias but not overgeneral

SUBMITTER: Duken SB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10864297 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature