Abstract

Overgeneral memory (OGM) reflects a relative difficulty - observed in depressed people and in those who lived traumatic experiences - to respond with specific (i.e. referring to one particular event) memories to cue-words (Williams & Broadbent, 1986). The aim of this review is to highlight the importance of studying this phenomenon both from the psychological functioning point of view and from the clinical point of view. Reviewed studies show that OGM is not a mere epiphenomenon of depressed mood, but rather a cognitive trait that reflects vulnerability toward clinical depression. Mechanisms involved and possible future lines of research are discussed.