Depression and Implicit Memory: A Commentary

In this invited commentary, we review four studies in which the issue of whether depression affects priming on implicit memory tests was examined. We conclude that a depressive mood does not affect 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. We 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.