Depression, elaboration, and mood congruence: differences between natural and induced mood.

The results of two experiments examining the effects of depressed mood on recall of target words and recall of descriptor words are reported. Descriptors were either negatively valenced or neutral and were not related semantically to target adjectives. There was no overall difference in the recall of targets by naturally depressed and nondepressed subjects. There was a mood x descriptor interaction on target recall, and depressed subjects recalled more negative descriptors than did nondepressed subjects. In contrast, when a depressed mood was induced through a Velten Mood Induction Procedure, induced-depressed subjects recalled fewer target words than did nondepressed subjects, and there was no differential recall of descriptor words by induced-depressed and nondepressed subjects. The results of these experiments indicate clear differences in the recall patterns of naturally depressed and induced-depressed subjects in a single cognitive task.