Erin Bennett
23636077
Discuss and critically evaluate the role of memory in the
development and maintenance of OCD.
1758 words.
Until recently OCD was classed as a severe anxiety disorder (Abramowitz
& Jacoby, 2014). It is the fourth most prevalent psychological condition
that often debilitates the sufferer’s quality of life, making it hard for them
to maintain relationships, jobs and a social life etc. (Veale & Roberts,
2014). It is a disorder in which a person’s anxieties turn into obsessions.
Obsessions are frequent and disturbing thoughts that cause severe
distress to the individual thinking them (Leckman et al., 2010). One would
then engage in compulsions to combat their anxieties and avoid
catastrophic consequences they fear they would face otherwise (Starcevic
et al., 2011). Compulsions can present themselves in many ways,
checking and the need for everything to be perfect (Coles et al., 2003)
being the most common type displayed. This can be partly explained by
the theory of ‘thought-action fusion’ (Shafran & Rachman, 2004) which
suggests that thinking something makes it more likely to happen, e.g. if I
think I am going to get an illness, I will get that illness. Therefore,
engaging in a behaviour such as compulsive body checking or
handwashing would help those to ‘combat’ this. In this essay I will be
exploring the aspect of memory and the link and affect it has on OCD
maintenance and development.
It has been suggested that there is a link between those who suffer with
OCD and a decreased confidence in memories (Tolin et al., 2001).
Individuals with OCD stereotypically and categorically are uncertain
individuals who doubt their everyday actions, for example, turning a hot
appliance off or locking their front door. Studies have put forward theories
on how this abundance of doubt affects their memory. One symptom of
OCD that typically debilitates memory trace is compulsive checking. It is
thought that the more one ritually checks something, the more the
accuracy of their memory decreases (Harkin & Kessler, 2011b). This in
, Erin Bennett
23636077
turn can have a negative affect and an individuals ability to recollect
certain information. One symptom of OCD that typically debilitates
memory trace is compulsive checking. It is thought that the more one
ritually checks something, the more the accuracy of their memory
decreases (Harkin & Kessler, 2011b). This in turn can have an effect on
the confidence of memories.
For example, Sher et al. (1983) concluded that compulsive checkers
showed less confidence in their memory than a control group with no
compulsive checking behaviours when asked to perform cognitive tasks
associated with checking behaviours. Similarly, Tolin et al. (2001)
conducted a study that consisted of 14 participants with Obsessive
Compulsions, 14 participants with generalised social phobia and 14 non-
anxious control participants, all with similar intellectual ability. The OCD
participants were given a list of 78 items. Some were considered unsafe (a
toaster left on, broken mirror), some were neutral (a lightbulb, a pair of
sunglasses) and others represented safety (a bar of soap, an unopened
bottle of bleach. They were asked to rate each object on a 7-point Likert
scale on how safe they would feel if each object was in front of them. From
their ratings, 8 objects from each category (unsafe, safe and neutral) were
selected for each individual. Their results were paired with ever NAC and
GSP participant. Everyone was then separately taken into a room with
their 24 objects under a cloth on a table then were given 10 seconds to
memorise them. After this, they were asking to recall the objects and then
rate each answer a percentage of how confident they were. This was then
repeated 5 times with the objects being rearranged each time. Following
this, they were called a week later to perform a ‘delayed recall test’. The
results showed no significant difference in the recall of the ‘safe and
neutral’ objects. However, overtime the participants with OCDs confidence
in their memory of the unsafe objects decreased. These results can be
used to explain the constant, ritualized repetition and checking behaviours
OCD suffers display as they become more uncertain as time goes on.
23636077
Discuss and critically evaluate the role of memory in the
development and maintenance of OCD.
1758 words.
Until recently OCD was classed as a severe anxiety disorder (Abramowitz
& Jacoby, 2014). It is the fourth most prevalent psychological condition
that often debilitates the sufferer’s quality of life, making it hard for them
to maintain relationships, jobs and a social life etc. (Veale & Roberts,
2014). It is a disorder in which a person’s anxieties turn into obsessions.
Obsessions are frequent and disturbing thoughts that cause severe
distress to the individual thinking them (Leckman et al., 2010). One would
then engage in compulsions to combat their anxieties and avoid
catastrophic consequences they fear they would face otherwise (Starcevic
et al., 2011). Compulsions can present themselves in many ways,
checking and the need for everything to be perfect (Coles et al., 2003)
being the most common type displayed. This can be partly explained by
the theory of ‘thought-action fusion’ (Shafran & Rachman, 2004) which
suggests that thinking something makes it more likely to happen, e.g. if I
think I am going to get an illness, I will get that illness. Therefore,
engaging in a behaviour such as compulsive body checking or
handwashing would help those to ‘combat’ this. In this essay I will be
exploring the aspect of memory and the link and affect it has on OCD
maintenance and development.
It has been suggested that there is a link between those who suffer with
OCD and a decreased confidence in memories (Tolin et al., 2001).
Individuals with OCD stereotypically and categorically are uncertain
individuals who doubt their everyday actions, for example, turning a hot
appliance off or locking their front door. Studies have put forward theories
on how this abundance of doubt affects their memory. One symptom of
OCD that typically debilitates memory trace is compulsive checking. It is
thought that the more one ritually checks something, the more the
accuracy of their memory decreases (Harkin & Kessler, 2011b). This in
, Erin Bennett
23636077
turn can have a negative affect and an individuals ability to recollect
certain information. One symptom of OCD that typically debilitates
memory trace is compulsive checking. It is thought that the more one
ritually checks something, the more the accuracy of their memory
decreases (Harkin & Kessler, 2011b). This in turn can have an effect on
the confidence of memories.
For example, Sher et al. (1983) concluded that compulsive checkers
showed less confidence in their memory than a control group with no
compulsive checking behaviours when asked to perform cognitive tasks
associated with checking behaviours. Similarly, Tolin et al. (2001)
conducted a study that consisted of 14 participants with Obsessive
Compulsions, 14 participants with generalised social phobia and 14 non-
anxious control participants, all with similar intellectual ability. The OCD
participants were given a list of 78 items. Some were considered unsafe (a
toaster left on, broken mirror), some were neutral (a lightbulb, a pair of
sunglasses) and others represented safety (a bar of soap, an unopened
bottle of bleach. They were asked to rate each object on a 7-point Likert
scale on how safe they would feel if each object was in front of them. From
their ratings, 8 objects from each category (unsafe, safe and neutral) were
selected for each individual. Their results were paired with ever NAC and
GSP participant. Everyone was then separately taken into a room with
their 24 objects under a cloth on a table then were given 10 seconds to
memorise them. After this, they were asking to recall the objects and then
rate each answer a percentage of how confident they were. This was then
repeated 5 times with the objects being rearranged each time. Following
this, they were called a week later to perform a ‘delayed recall test’. The
results showed no significant difference in the recall of the ‘safe and
neutral’ objects. However, overtime the participants with OCDs confidence
in their memory of the unsafe objects decreased. These results can be
used to explain the constant, ritualized repetition and checking behaviours
OCD suffers display as they become more uncertain as time goes on.
