The Effects of Depressed Mood and Subtypes of Rumination on Cognitive Control and Memory Efficacy during/after Postperceptual Reflective Processes
Date Issued
2012
Date
2012
Author(s)
Yen, Miao-Ni
Abstract
The present study investigated the relation between depressed mood and cognitive efficacy. Prior research has indicated that depressive ruminators demonstrate attentional bias and impaired disengagement of attention for negative emotional stimuli when these stimuli are present. However, it remains unclear as to their cognitive efficacy when they are cued to mentally refresh these no-longer present stimuli. With sub-clinical depression individuals as participants, this pilot study used Refresh task (Johnson & Raye, 2002) and Surprise Recognition task to explore the cognitive control and memory efficacy during/after postperceptual reflective processes. It was predicted that the disphorics would show lower efficacy in cognitive control, especially for negative emotional stimuli. Besides, the associations with mental-rubbernecking would differ for brooding and reflection, the two subtypes of rumination. Moreover, this study also explored if memory efficacy after refreshing would differ in different disphoric groups. Ninety-eight participants completed inventories (including BDI, BAI, and RRS-short form) and participated in the Refresh task and Surprise Recognition task. The results showed that for cognitive control, with reaction time as dependent variable, a three-way ANOVA of 2 (group: dysphoric/non-dysphoric) × 2 (trial condition: repeat/refresh) × 2 (target word: neutral/depressive) mixed design indicated that the three way interaction was not significant, whereas it was significant when the groups were divided by brooding. Specifically, the high brooders showed lower cognitive control over refreshing the depressive words. For memory efficacy after refreshing, with sensitivity(d’) and response bias(c) as dependent variables, the three-way ANOVA of 2 (group: dysphoric/non-dysphoric) × 2 (word condition: repeated/refreshed) × 2 (word valence: neutral/depressive) mixed design indicated that a significant three way interaction for both the two measures. Specifically, the memory accuracy of the non-dysphorics was not influenced by modes of information processing or valence of stimulus, while the dysphorics showed overall poor performance, except for the refreshed depressive words. Meanwhile, the dysphorics preferred to response to the refreshed depressive words. Furthermore, while reflection was not associated with mental-rubbernecking, brooding was correlated with the latter negatively. Taken together, the results revealed that there were different effects for depression and rumination on cognitive control. Moreover, brooding was a maladaptive subtype of rumination. What’s more, the dysphorics had preference and memory bias to refreshed negative emotional representations, which might result in difficulties using neutral and positive materials to regulate their negative self-concept, remission from suffering emotions, or engaging in problem solving. As to clinical implications, these findings indicated the possibility of prevention or treatment of depression through such cognitive control training.
Subjects
depression
rumination
brooding
reflection
postperceptual reflective processes
refreshing
mental-rubbernecking
Type
thesis
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