An investigation of the specificity and vividness of autobiographical memories and future events produced in response to disgust-related cues among individuals with eating disorders

Abstract

Background: A deficiency in autobiographical memory functioning could be of relevance to the maintenance of an eating disorder (ED). Past research has found that people with EDs have difficulties in producing specific details of autobiographical memories (AM) and in imagining future events. Our aim was to investigate AM and episodic future thinking (EFT) in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) or binge eating disorder (BED), and healthy controls (HCs) using negative cue words relevant to the experience of being disgusted and morally violated. Methods: Remotely administered computerised versions of the autobiographical memory task (AMT) and the EFT task were used to measure the specificity and vividness of AMs and EFTs. Neutral or negative/moral disgust-relevant cues were used to elicit AMs and EFTs. The relationship between AM specificity and EFT specificity was explored. The predictor role of individual differences in childhood teasing and betrayal sensitivity on the specificity and vividness of AMT and EFTs induced by moral disgust-relevant cues was examined. Results: Individuals with AN and BN/BED did not have difficulties retrieving specific and vivid details of AMs and imagining future events in both cue conditions. AM specificity predicted EFT specificity in all groups. Future events primed by neutral cues were rated as more vivid by HCs compared to those induced by moral disgust-relevant cues, but there was no difference between the form of memories elicited by both cues in either ED group. Participants with EDs who had greater levels of childhood teasing and betrayal sensitivity generated more vivid AMT and EFTs in response to moral disgust-related cues, which was not observed in HCs. Conclusions: This study did not detect alterations in AMT and EFT characteristics in either ED group compared with HCs. The findings were discussed regarding the sample characteristics (e.g., illness severity). Individual differences in childhood teasing and betrayal sensitivity seem to be related to generating more vivid negative memories and future events, which might increase the risk of making past and future victimisation-related events more salient. Imagery-based techniques incorporated into the psychological interventions might reduce the emotional intensity/vividness of recalled memories and anticipated threats.