Major Depression Basics
What are common emotional symptoms of major depression?
Sadness, discouragement, hopelessness.
What model of working memory was used in the study?
Baddeley’s model of working memory.
How many individuals participated in the study?
64 (35 with depression, 29 without)
What percentage of U.S. adults will experience major depression in their lifetime?
Between 10% and 15%.
What are the three main components of Baddeley’s working memory model?
Phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and central executive.
What was the control group in the study?
Hospital assistants who did not have depression.
How does major depression impact leisure activities?
Individuals typically lose interest in leisure activities.
Which working memory task showed the biggest difference between depressed and non-depressed individuals?
The central executive task requiring recall of the last four letters of a string.
What tests did Christopher and MacDonald use to assess phonological loop functioning?
They used tasks where participants looked at similar-sounding letters (e.g., CDP) while repeating “the” and then had to recall the letters in order.
What do people with major depression often report about their energy levels?
They feel fatigued.
How does rumination affect working memory in people with depression?
It interferes with concentration and working memory performance.
On the phonological loop task, how many letters did depressed individuals recall on average?
3.4 letters
Why is it important to study the relationship between major depression and working memory?
Because major depression is common, understanding its impact on cognition helps mental health professionals support affected individuals.
Why might people with depression struggle with some working memory tasks but not others?
Difficulties may stem from problems with concentration and a ruminative cognitive style.
On the central executive task involving recalling the last four letters of a string, how did depressed individuals perform compared to non-depressed individuals?
Depressed individuals recalled 3.2 letters on average, while non-depressed individuals recalled 7.4.