Cognitive reactivity to low positive and high negative affect.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Affective Science

Background:

• Cognitive Reactivity (CR) is a known predictor of depression, defined by the link between sad feelings and negative thinking.
• Sad affect is understood as high negative affect (NA) combined with low positive affect (PA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate cognitive reactivity and affect research by examining cognitive reactivity to high negative affect (CR-highNA) and low positive affect (CR-lowPA).
• To explore the roles of CR-highNA and CR-lowPA in relation to depressive symptoms.

Main Methods:

• College students participated in a study using daily diary measures.
• Participants completed measures for CR-highNA, CR-lowPA, and CR to sadness (CR-Sad).

Main Results:

• Naturally occurring NA and PA explained the connection between sadness and dysfunctional cognitions.
• High levels of CR-highNA and CR-lowPA explained the relationship between depressive symptoms and CR-Sad.

Conclusions:

• The study integrates cognitive reactivity and affect research, offering new insights into depression.
• Findings have implications for the theoretical understanding and treatment of depression.