The potential of Future Event Specificity Training (FEST) to decrease anhedonia and dampening of positive emotions: A...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Impaired episodic future thinking (EFT), characterized by reduced specificity and detail, is linked to depressive symptoms.
• Anhedonia, a core depression symptom of low positive affect, and dampening, a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy, are also associated with depression.
• Previous research indicated Future Event Specificity Training (FEST) benefits EFT and anhedonia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate previous findings on FEST's impact on EFT and anhedonia.
• To investigate FEST's potential to reduce dampening, a maladaptive response style.
• To explore the efficacy of FEST in a large sample of undergraduate students.

Main Methods:

• An randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing FEST to a waitlist control group.
• Inclusion of 155 Dutch-speaking undergraduate students.
• Assessment of EFT features, anhedonia, and dampening post-intervention.

Main Results:

• FEST led to significant improvements in EFT features, consistent with prior research.
• No significant changes were observed in anhedonia or dampening.
• The lack of change in anhedonia and dampening may be due to limited room for change detection.

Conclusions:

• FEST effectively enhances episodic future thinking (EFT) features.
• Further research with methodological adjustments is needed to confirm FEST's effects on anhedonia and dampening.
• Investigating the theoretical mechanisms underlying FEST's potential impact on anhedonia and dampening warrants further examination.