Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Br J Clin Psychol. 2023 Jun;62(2):444-458. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12418. Epub 2023 Mar 5.
Individuals frequently engage in comparisons on how they are doing relative to different standards. According to the general comparative-processing model, comparisons can be perceived as aversive (appraised as threatening the motives of the comparer) or appetitive (appraised as consonant with, or positively challenging the motives). Research indicates that aversive comparisons are associated with depression. We hypothesize that aversive comparisons play a significant role in the relationship between brooding rumination and depression. Drawing on central propositions of control theory that discrepancies instigate rumination, we investigated the mediating role of brooding rumination in this relationship. Reflecting the different directionality, we also examined whether well-being comparisons mediate the relationship between brooding rumination and depression.
Dysphoric participants (N = 500) were administered measures of depression and brooding rumination, and the Comparison Standards Scale for Well-being. The latter assesses aversive social, temporal, counterfactual, and criteria-based comparisons regarding their (a) frequency, (b) perceived discrepancy to the standard, and (c) engendered affective valence.
The relationship between the frequency of aversive comparisons with depression was partially accounted for by comparison discrepancy and engendered affective valence and brooding rumination. The relationship between rumination and depression was partially mediated by sequential comparison processes.
Longitudinal research needs to unravel the underlying directionality of the relationship between depression, brooding, and comparison. Relevant clinical implications of well-being comparison are discussed.
个体经常会将自己与不同标准的表现进行比较。根据一般的比较加工模型，比较可以被视为令人厌恶的（被评价为威胁比较者的动机）或令人愉悦的（被评价为与动机一致，或积极挑战动机）。研究表明，令人厌恶的比较与抑郁有关。我们假设，令人厌恶的比较在沉思性反刍与抑郁之间的关系中起着重要作用。借鉴控制理论的核心命题，即差异引发沉思，我们调查了沉思性反刍在这种关系中的中介作用。反映出不同的方向，我们还检查了幸福感比较是否在沉思性反刍与抑郁之间的关系中起中介作用。
给 500 名抑郁参与者进行抑郁和沉思性反刍以及幸福感比较标准量表的测量。后者评估了关于其（a）频率、（b）感知到的与标准的差异以及（c）产生的情感效价的负面社交、时间、反事实和基于标准的比较。
与抑郁相关的令人厌恶的比较频率部分由比较差异和产生的情感效价以及沉思性反刍来解释。沉思性反刍与抑郁之间的关系部分由顺序比较过程中介。
需要进行纵向研究来阐明抑郁、沉思和比较之间关系的潜在方向。讨论了幸福感比较的相关临床意义。
