Observer versus Field Memories in Repressive,Low Anxious,and Obsessive-Compulsive Subjects

Abstract

The tendency to see one's self in autobiographical memories (“Observer” memories) has been reported for experiences that are emotional or involve self-awareness. Repressors, who avoid thinking about emotional experiences, should have fewer observer memories, whereas obsessive-compulsives should have more. College students were asked to recall specific events (e.g., giving a public performance), and the point of view of the memory. Repressors (who had low Manifest Anxiety and high Marlowe Crowne scores) reported fewer observer memories than did low anxious subjects (who scored low on both inventories), and were not different from a high anxious group. This pattern was replicated in a second experiment, which also found that subjects with high Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive scores had more observer memories than those with low scores. Repressors and obsessive-compulsives did not differ consistently either in their frequency of observer memories or their personality profiles.