Depression and implicit memory: A commentary.

Reviews 4 studies in which the issue of whether depression affects priming on implicit memory tests was examined. The authors conclude that a depressive mood does not affect the amount of priming on several implicit memory tests under conditions in which marked effects are shown on conscious recollection (explicit memory). The mood congruity effect (depressives remember depression-related words better than controls; controls remember other types of material better than depressives) also largely disappears on perceptual implicit memory tests. The authors speculate about reasons for discrepancies in the literature, relate the findings to some current theories of individual differences in memory, and suggest some directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)