School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
J Affect Disord. 2024 Feb 15;347:619-629. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.004. Epub 2023 Dec 7.
The 'mood-congruency' hypothesis of attention allocation postulates that individuals' current emotional states affect their attention allocation, such that mood-congruent stimuli take precedence over non-congruent ones. This hypothesis has been further suggested as an underlying mechanism of biased attention allocation in depression.
The present research explored the mood-congruency hypothesis using a novel video-based mood elicitation procedure (MEP) and an established eye-tracking attention allocation assessment task, elaborating prior research in the field. Specifically, in Study 1 (n = 91), a video-based MEP was developed and rigorously validated. In study 2 (n = 60), participants' attention allocation to sad and happy face stimuli, each presented separately alongside neutral faces, was assessed before and after the video-based MEP, with happiness induced in one group (n = 30) while inducing sadness in the other (n = 30).
In Study 1, the MEP yielded the intended modification of participants' current mood states (eliciting either sadness or happiness). Study 2 showed that while the MEP modified mood in the intended direction in both groups, replicating the results of Study 1, corresponding changes in attention allocation did not ensue in either group. A Bayesian analysis of pre-to-post mood elicitation changes in attention allocation supported this null finding. Moreover, results revealed an attention bias to happy faces across both groups and assessment points, suggestive of a trait-like positive bias in attention allocation among non-selected participants.
Current results provide no evidence supporting the mood-congruency hypothesis, which suggests that (biased) attention allocation may be better conceptualized as a depressive trait, rather than a mood-congruent state.
注意力分配的“情绪一致性”假设认为，个体的当前情绪状态会影响他们的注意力分配，使得情绪一致的刺激优先于非一致的刺激。该假设进一步被认为是抑郁症中注意力偏向分配的潜在机制。
本研究使用一种新的基于视频的情绪诱发程序（MEP）和一种已建立的眼动注意力分配评估任务来探索情绪一致性假设，这是对该领域先前研究的扩展。具体来说，在研究 1（n=91）中，开发了一种基于视频的 MEP，并进行了严格验证。在研究 2（n=60）中，在基于视频的 MEP 之前和之后评估了参与者对悲伤和快乐的面孔刺激的注意力分配，每个刺激都与中性面孔一起单独呈现，其中一组（n=30）诱导快乐，另一组（n=30）诱导悲伤。
在研究 1 中，MEP 产生了预期的参与者当前情绪状态的改变（诱发悲伤或快乐）。研究 2 表明，虽然 MEP 在两个组中都以预期的方向改变了情绪，复制了研究 1 的结果，但在任何一组中都没有随之产生相应的注意力分配变化。对注意力分配从情绪诱发前到后的变化的贝叶斯分析支持了这一零假设。此外，结果显示了两组在所有评估点对快乐面孔的注意力偏向，表明非选择性参与者的注意力分配中存在一种特质性的积极偏向。
当前的结果没有提供支持情绪一致性假设的证据，该假设表明（偏向的）注意力分配可能更好地被概念化为抑郁特质，而不是情绪一致的状态。
