Overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) is an inability to retrieve specific memories from one's autobiographical memory. Instead, general memories are recalled, such as repeated events or events occurring over broad periods. For example, when asked to recall a happy event, a person who exhibits OGM may say, "when I was on vacation last month" instead of remembering a single incident, such as, "my high school graduation." Research shows a correlation between OGM and certain mental illnesses, such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Diagnosis The most common way to test for OGM is with the autobiographical memory test (AMT). A participant views cue cards with varying emotional cues (happy, sad, excited, scared, etc.) and is then asked to think of a specific memory in response to it. Most studies utilize the ten word paradigm on the cue cards, where five words are positive and five are negative, but some studies include neutral words (such as fashion or uncle), which increases the total number of cue words. After presentation of the cue word, participants are given 30 seconds to one minute, depending on the study, to come up with a specific memory. If unable to think of a specific memory, the participant is further prompted to think of one specific time or episode, often by the researcher using the phrase "can you think of a specific time—one particular occasion." Memories are considered specific if they occurred once, during a specific time. Responses are normally recorded and transcribed for later coding of overgeneral memories or specific memories. Certain studies code based on the two types of overgeneral memories: categoric and extended memories. Categoric memories include events that occur repeatedly throughout one's life. An example of a categoric memory is "when I went to the store." An extended memory includes events that last more than a day. The memory "when I traveled abroad last year" would be an example of an extended memory. Not all studies differentiate between the two, however. There are two criticisms over the current research methods for OGM. One involves the use of the AMT, as it is believed that it may not be sensitive enough to detect OGM in nonclinical samples. Additionally, most studies utilizing the AMT use the same cue words, which could be problematic if certain words elicit more OGM than others. It is recommended that varying words in the AMT across studies