Autobiographical memory retrieval in the context of self-schema updating: Does specific recall have power?

Self-schemas are formed from the common elements of past experiences. In clinical contexts, maladaptive negative self-schemas are associated with resistance to therapeutic interventions and prospectively predict a worse course of depression. One possible way to update self-schemas is to recall specific autobiographical events that support or contradict current self-schemas. This study investigated whether retrieving specific autobiographical memories facilitates self-schema updating more effectively than retrieving general memories or no memories. Additionally, the study explored whether depressive symptom severity was associated with memory accessibility biases. Undergraduate students (N = 101) completed an autobiographical memory task where they recalled specific memories in which they or their friend behaved consistently or inconsistently with adjective cues (e.g., competent, inferior). Participants rated how well these traits applied to themselves (i.e., assessment of self-schema) before and after the autobiographical memory retrieval. Results showed that retrieving memories in which participants behaved consistently or inconsistently with their traits led to changes in self-schema in the corresponding direction, and this effect was more pronounced when specific memories were recalled. Furthermore, shorter retrieval latencies for self-inconsistent memories were associated with greater changes in self-schema. Depressive symptom severity was associated with shorter retrieval latencies only in the condition where memories were inconsistent with positive self-traits and in the condition where they were consistent with negative self-traits. These findings highlight the utility of specific autobiographical recall in self-schema updating and suggest that interventions targeting autobiographical memory specificity may effectively address negative self-schemas, particularly in individuals with dysphoria.