EFFECTS OF LEVEL OF PROCESSING ON IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MEMORY IN DEPRESSED MOOD

Recently, several studies have addressed the question of whether depre ssion affects priming in implicit memory task. The main aim of this ex periment was to assess the presence of a bias for negative information in explicit memory (free recall) and implicit memory (word-stem compl etion) tasks among subclinically depressed subjects compared to nondep ressed subjects, using the typical levels of processing manipulation. The results of this study show the existence of a mood-congruent memor y bias for both implicit and explicit memory in depressed subjects. Th e theoretical implications of these findings for implicit and explicit memory biases associated with depressed mood are discussed.