Abstract :
[en] The reciprocal relationship between autobiographical memory (AM) and identity is well known. In schizophrenia, there is evidence that both identity and AM are impaired. Indeed, identity has been described as fragmented, instable or still discontinuous in these patients (Boulanger et al., submitted; deBonis et al., 1995; Nieznanski, 2004). Further, schizophrenia patients’ (SCh) AM impairments were described as difficulties to retrieve specific memories (Cuervo-Lombard et al., 2007; D’argembeau et al., 2008; Neumann et al., 2007; Wood et al., 2006). SCh have specificity impairment for mill run autobiographical memories (AMs) and also, for AMs particularly important for construction and continuity to identity as self-defining memories (SDMs; Benounna-Greene, 2001; Raffard et al., 2009, 2010; Robinson and Taylor, 1998). SDMs have been particularly relevant in understanding the relationship between the identity and AM. Identity emerges during late adolescence and early adulthood period called “remimiscence bump period” because, it is characterized by a profusion of recalled memories in comparison to others periods of life span. Possibly, many memories from this period are of SDMs (Singer & Salovey, 1993) and have a powerful effect in binding the identity to a specific reality. Consequently, we supposed that identity impairments showed by SCch are related to SDMs deficits. 19 SCh and 19 healthy controls paired participated to this study. They were asked to give ten enduring “I am” statements that they felt “defined their identity.” Then, they selected the three statements among the ten, which are the “most personally significant to their sense of identity”. They were asked to recall three SDMs by each of three statements selected. Afterwards, they were asked to give: (1) their age for each statement when they felt it was a significant part of their identity, (2) their age at the time that the remembered event occurred. In parallel, the participants were completed neuropsychological measures, BDI-II, PANSS and, an identity stability measure. The results are discussed on the light of previous research
