Comparison of Working Memory Capacity and Thought Control Strategies in Patients Obsessive - compulsive Dsorder and Normal Subjects

The purpose of this study was to compare the work memory capacity and thought control strategies of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder with normal people. The present study was a comparative study. The study population of the present study included people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and normal people in Tabriz city in 2013-2014. A sample of 60 participants (30 people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 30 normal people) was selected by available sampling method. Participants were matched in terms of gender, age and education. Then Wechsler cultivar subscales and Thought Control Strategies (TCS) tests were performed on them. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance analysis. Results showed that there was a significant difference between people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and normal people in the variables of work memory capacity and thought control strategies. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder had a weaker memory. Also, the results of thought control strategies showed that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder were more likely to use worry, social control, punishment and re-evaluation strategies than normal people; however, the strategy of paying more attention was used in the normal group. These results indicated that recurring behaviors of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder may be the result of inadequacies in their working memory. Also, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder may resort to thought-control strategies when faced with intellectual-practical obsessive-compulsive disorder.