The relative effects of abstract versus concrete thinking on decision-making in depression

In two studies we tested the hypothesis that abstract thinking is linked to decision-making problems in depression. In Study 1, we compared the extent to which high dysphoric (n = 24) and low dysphoric (n = 26) individuals engaged in abstract thinking while completing a decision-making task. As predicted, high dysphoric participants demonstrated more abstract thinking and worse outcomes on decision-making measures indexed before and after they made decisions about both personal and hypothetical scenarios. In Study 2, we tested the prediction that abstract thinking leads to worse decision-making outcomes relative to concrete thinking. Participants were randomly allocated to engage in either abstract (n = 43) or concrete (n = 44) thinking, and then given an online writing task and encouraged to complete it as early as possible within a 9-day timeframe. Depressive symptoms were associated with longer task completion time in the abstract condition; no such relationship was observed in the concrete condition. Our findings have the potential to inform the clinical management of depression by demonstrating that abstract thinking could contribute to decision-making difficulties in depression, and raise the possibility that facilitating the use of concrete thinking may reduce these difficulties.