DOES NEGATIVE MOOD CONFER AN ADVANTAGE IN THE RECALL OF NEGATIVE LIFE EVENTS?

Models of depression suggest that depression, which is characterized by sad mood, should confer a recall advantage for negative stimuli, including stressful life events. The current study examined the effects of mood congru-ent recall on the quantity and accuracy of recall of negative life events. Forty-two college students received a negative or positive mood induction and then listened to narratives of 11 negative life events which mapped onto a well-known life events checklist measure. One week later, parti-cipants returned to the lab, received the same mood induction, and were asked to recall the narratives in open-ended recall and when using the life events checklist as a memory measure. There were no significant group differences on numerous measures of quantity and accuracy of recall including false memories. These results suggest that negative mood does not confer a recall advantage nor disadvantage for narratives of negative life events. Possible implications for depression and recall of negative life events are discussed. Empirically-supported models and theories of the development, maintenance, and subtypes of depression include life stress as a contributor, e.g., Cognitive theorie