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Social avoidance in depression: A study using a social decision-making task.

Gabriela Fernández-Theoduloz¹, Valentina Paz², Eliana Nicolaisen-Sobesky¹

¹Center for Basic Research in Psychology.

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

|March 29, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Depressed individuals exhibit greater social avoidance, choosing solitary tasks over collaborative ones. This behavior, linked to negative emotions and social comparison, worsens depression and reduces overall gains.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Neuroscience
Behavioral Science

Background:

Depression significantly impairs interpersonal functioning.
Social avoidance is a key factor in maintaining depressive symptoms and social difficulties.
Interactive tasks are crucial for studying social interactions in depression.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate social avoidance in unmedicated depressed individuals compared to healthy controls.
To examine the role of social comparison and guilt in social avoidance within depression.
To analyze decision-making in a social context using a novel computerized task.

Main Methods:

Utilized a computerized social decision-making task (TEAM task) with unmedicated depressed (n=26) and healthy control (n=26) participants.
Participants chose between a social (team) and individual option, with varying coplayer ranks.
Measured emotional responses (happiness, shame, guilt, disappointment) and behavioral choices.

Main Results:

Depressed participants reported more negative emotions (shame, guilt) and less positive emotions (happiness).
Depressed individuals significantly preferred the individual option over the social option, leading to lower material gains.
Controls decreased their preference for the individual option over time, while depressed participants increased it.

Conclusions:

Social avoidance is a significant behavior in depression, contributing to negative outcomes.
Social comparison and guilt significantly influence social avoidance in depressed individuals.
The findings highlight the detrimental impact of social avoidance on functioning and well-being in depression.