In 2000, Conway and Pleydell-Pearce came up with an improved theory of autobiographical memory, inspiring Williams to revise and expand his theory of OGM into the current CaR-FA-X model (Capture and Rumination, Functional Avoidance, and Impairment in Executive Capacity). The new model of autobiographical memory relies heavily on the hierarchical nature of memory. Specifically, the model proposes that autobiographical memory can be broken down into four categories: conceptual themes, lifetime periods, general events, and event-specific knowledge. As one moves down the hierarchy, memories become more specific.Sumner, J. A. (2012). The mechanisms underlying overgeneral autobiographical memory: an evaluative review of evidence for the CaR-FA-X model. Clinical Psychology Review, 32, 34-48. The Conway and Pleydell-Pearce model suggests that OGM may have multiple causal pathways and that OGM cannot be explained solely by the theory of Functional Avoidance. To address these concerns, Williams' CaR-FA-X model specifically describes three pathways of how a person may develop OGM, though the interactions of the three factors may underlie OGM development as well.
