RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Obsessive-compulsive (OC) checkers have been shown to be impaired in memory. However, when encoding OC-related material, OC checkers exhibit superior recall. This study aims to investigate emotion-related memory performance in relation to checking using newly developed OC-specific material. Additionally, metacognitive characteristics such as cognitive confidence were considered. METHOD: In a sample of 63 participants (including 26 participants with obsessive-compulsive disorder), immediate and delayed recall for neutral stories and for OC-specific stories containing checking- and washing-related content were assessed. Regression analyses were applied to investigate the relationship to checking symptoms. The influence of metacognitive characteristics on recall was also examined. RESULTS: Higher checking was related to significantly better memory performance for a checking-related story as compared to two neutral stories. However, higher checking was also related to higher rates of forgetting of the OC-specific material over the delay period. Rates of forgetting in relation to checking were mediated by cognitive confidence. Diagnostic status was not predictive of any outcome variables. LIMITATIONS: The use of typical and not idiosyncratic verbal material may limit the ecological validity of these findings. CONCLUSIONS: In relation to high checking, different disorder-related cognitive and affective processes seem to interfere with memory encoding and retrieval at different stages. Metacognitive therapy methods might address these processes and thereby lead to a reduction of both cognitive impairment and OC symptoms.
