Grol Maud, Vanlessen Naomi, De Raedt Rudi
Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2017 Dec;57:156-162. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2017.05.008. Epub 2017 May 31.
Mental imagery can evoke strong emotional responses, but imagery perspective can influence the response, with observer perspective reducing emotionality. This is important provided that positive imagery can be an effective mood repair strategy in healthy individuals. However, (sub-clinical) depressed individuals tend to spontaneously adopt an observer perspective. We investigated whether positive imagery would result in a similar emotional response in dysphoric and non-dysphoric individuals when instructed and trained to use field perspective imagery. Additionally, we compared the emotional response in dysphoric individuals who received instructions to dysphoric individuals who received no instructions on processing mode during positive memory recall.
Dysphoric and non-dysphoric individuals completed a mood induction procedure imagining positive or neutral memories. They received instructions and practice in the use of field perspective imagery. An additional control group of dysphoric individuals recalled positive memories without receiving instructions on processing mode.
Dysphoric and non-dysphoric individuals who received instructions on field perspective imagery reported similar use of field and observer perspective imagery, and a similar positive emotional response. Dysphoric individuals who did not receive specific instructions, as compared to those who did, reported greater use of observer perspective and lower levels of positive affect afterwards.
A dysphoric sample limits generalization to clinically depressed individuals, although these individuals are at risk for developing depression. However, mental imagery used in relapse prevention is likely targeting sub-clinical populations.
Providing practice in field perspective imagery could potentially improve the effectiveness of positive memory recall as a mood repair strategy in (sub-clinically) depressed individuals, and may therefore have important therapeutic benefits.
心理意象能够引发强烈的情绪反应，但意象视角会影响这种反应，采用观察者视角会降低情绪性。鉴于积极意象可能是健康个体有效的情绪修复策略，这一点很重要。然而，（亚临床）抑郁个体往往会自发地采用观察者视角。我们研究了在指导和训练使用现场视角意象时，积极意象是否会在烦躁不安和非烦躁不安的个体中引发类似的情绪反应。此外，我们比较了在积极记忆回忆过程中，接受意象加工模式指导的烦躁不安个体与未接受指导的烦躁不安个体的情绪反应。
烦躁不安和非烦躁不安的个体完成了一个情绪诱导程序，想象积极或中性的记忆。他们接受了使用现场视角意象的指导和练习。另外一个烦躁不安个体的对照组在回忆积极记忆时没有接受关于加工模式的指导。
接受现场视角意象指导的烦躁不安和非烦躁不安个体报告称，他们使用现场视角和观察者视角意象的情况相似，并且有相似的积极情绪反应。与接受指导的个体相比，未接受特定指导的烦躁不安个体报告称，他们更多地使用观察者视角，且之后的积极情绪水平较低。
尽管这些个体有患抑郁症的风险，但烦躁不安样本限制了研究结果向临床抑郁症患者的推广。然而，用于预防复发的心理意象可能针对的是亚临床人群。
提供现场视角意象的练习可能会提高积极记忆回忆作为（亚临床）抑郁个体情绪修复策略的有效性，因此可能具有重要的治疗益处。
