Renate de Jong-Meyer

Psychophysiological response patterns to positive and negative film stimuli

The aim of the present study was to investigate differential emotional response patterns to film stimuli by multimodal assessment of mood ratings, perception of bodily sensations, salivary cortisol, autonomic variables and facial electromyogram (EMG). Film stimuli, chosen to elicit positive and negative emotional states, were presented to 12 subjects with general anxiety disorder and 12 controls. Changes in mood, bodily sensations, autonomic activity (heart rate, respiration rate and skin conductance), facial EMG activity (corrugator and zygomatic muscle region) and salivary cortisol were measured. Analyses revealed differential changes in all response systems except for respiration rate and salivary cortisol. Although high-anxious subjects did not differ from controls in their average responses to the negative film stimuli, there is a tendency of a greater coherence of emotional response components in generalized anxiety subjects. However, spontaneous facial expressions to positive and negative film stimuli were associated with augmented electrodermal activity within both groups. Results are interpreted in light of directional response fractionation, dimensional approaches of emotion, and the facial feedback literature.

Autonomic, neuroendocrine, and subjective responses to emotion-inducing film stimuli

The aim of the present study was to investigate differential emotional response patterns to film stimuli by multimodal assessment of subjective, autonomic and endocrine variables. Scenes of two films, chosen to induce different affective states, were presented to 20 male subjects. Changes in mood and perceived bodily sensations, autonomic activity (heart rate and skin conductance) and one endocrine parameter (salivary cortisol) were measured. Analyses revealed that the films elicited differential mood patterns. The cartoon film, which induced a pleasant, amused state, was accompanied by very few changes in bodily sensations, a temporary decrease in heart rate, and a rapid decrease in electrodermal activity. The suspense film, which elicited a marked reduction in joyfulness and relaxation together with an enhancement in irritation, differed from that pattern primarily by marked changes in several bodily sensations, an increase in electrodermal activity, and a temporary decrease in heart rate. There were no film-dependent cortisol changes. The results together with evidence from other emotion induction experiments support the usefulness of film segments in eliciting mild to moderate affective states and their concomitances. They particularly point to the relevance of bodily sensations as an emotional response component.

Differentiating unwanted intrusive thoughts from thought suppression: what does the White Bear Suppression Inventory measure?

Abstract The factor structure and correlational validity of a German version of the White Bear Suppression Inventory (Wegner, & Zanakos, 1994). Chronic thought suppression. Journal of Personality, 62, 615–640 was analysed in a sample of 276 non-clinical participants. Using orthogonal rotation, a two factor solution best represented the underlying structure. One factor was interpreted as “Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts”, the other as “Thought suppression”. The full scales correlation with measures of depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive behaviour was largely due to the Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts factor rather than the Thought Suppression factor. The Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts factor correlated negatively with avoidant coping. Neither factor correlated with self-disclosure. The theoretical meaning of separating thought intrusions from thought suppression is discussed, leading to the recommendation of differential assessment of these constructs.

Saliva Cortisol Responses to Unpleasant Film Stimuli Differ between High and Low Trait Anxious Subjects

The present study, which aims to investigate effects of low and high trait anxiety on saliva cortisol secretion, was performed on 64 healthy male volunteers. They were assigned either to an unpleasant or a control film. Furthermore, subjects were divided within each film group by median split of their anxiety ratings into high and low trait anxious groups, resulting in four equal-sized groups. Saliva cortisol and mood ratings were the dependent variables. In contrast to the low anxious, the high anxious subjects responded with a diminished saliva cortisol response.

Film-induced amusement changes in saliva cortisol levels

The present study, aimed at investigating effects of film-induced amusement on saliva cortisol levels, was performed on 52 healthy male volunteers, aged 19-31 years. They were assigned to an amusement or a control condition. Saliva cortisol and affective film ratings were the dependent variables. During amusement 50% of the subjects showed changes in saliva cortisol correlated positively with ratings of funniness. Thus, cortisol secretion may be linked to emotional arousal, regardless of the emotional valence.

Decision making in depression: differences in decisional conflict between healthy and depressed individuals

This study investigated differences in the emergence of decisional conflict in healthy and depressed participants. The two groups of interest were questioned about their experience of decisional conflict and ongoing thoughts and impressions during decision making. As predicted, depressed participants experienced more decisional conflict than healthy participants. Furthermore, the diverse processes hypothesis was supported: In healthy participants, preoccupation with the task was the only predictor of decisional conflict. In depressed participants, decisional conflict was predicted by a combination of depression-related processes (e.g., low self-efficacy, lack of concentration, rumination, etc.). This research reduces the gap between the relevance of the symptom of indecisiveness (e.g., for diagnostic purposes) and the lack of knowledge in this realm of psychopathology.

Specificity of autobiographical memories and basal cortisol levels in patients with major depression

This study investigated whether over-general retrieval of autobiographical memories in depression is related to increased basal cortisol levels. Forty-seven individuals with a current diagnosis of major depression were given the autobiographical memory test, in which they were asked to produce specific autobiographical memories following positive, negative and neutral cue words. Salivary cortisol samples were taken at fixed time intervals during testing in the afternoon. Basal cortisol levels did not appear to be markedly elevated and were not significantly correlated with autobiographical memory performance. There were, however, strong negative correlations between memory specificity and decreases of cortisol levels over time of testing. Findings suggest that while specificity of autobiographical memory may be sensitive to cortisol changes, the occurrence of over-general memory in depression is not necessarily due to increased cortisol levels.

Beliefs about benefits of rumination in depressed men and women with and without a history of assault

Positive beliefs about the benefits of rumination have been shown to be a proximal factor determining rumination. This study investigated, in a sample of 29 currently depressed patients, whether positive beliefs about rumination parallel known gender differences in rumination and whether these beliefs differ between depressed individuals with and without a history of physical or sexual assault. Depressed women tended to report stronger positive beliefs in the benefits of rumination than men. However, this result was found to be due to differential effects of a history of assault: women with a history of assault showed significantly stronger positive beliefs than women without a history of assault while there were no significant differences in men. Experiences of assault may undermine womens beliefs in coping ability so that rumination is seen as a more compelling option.

Unspezifität des autobiographischen Gedächtnisses bei Depressiven

Zusammenfassung. Williams und Mitarbeiter sowie andere Forschergruppen konnten seit 1986 in zahlreichen Studien nachweisen, das depressive und suizidale Patienten Schwierigkeiten haben, auf emotionale Hinweisworte hin (z.B. glucklich, traurig) eine ortlich und zeitlich spezifische Erinnerung zu berichten. Sie reagierten haufiger mit summarischen Beschreibungen von Ereignissen, wahrend gesunde Kontrollpersonen mehrheitlich mit einem spezifischen Ereignis antworteten. Der folgende Beitrag gibt einen Uberblick uber die Forschungsgeschichte dieses Phanomens. Die Befunde an Gruppen mit verschiedenen Storungsbildern deuten auf die differentielle Bedeutsamkeit des unspezifischeren Gedachtniszugriffs bei Patienten hin, die eine Depressionssymptomatik haben. Gesichert erscheint auch, das ein eher unspezifischer Zugriff auf Vergangenes mit der Generierung weniger effizienter Problemlosestrategien und mit Unspezifitat in der Reprasentation zukunftiger Ereignisse korreliert ist. Eigene Befunde unterstutzen die Annahm...

The impact of mood induction on the accessibility of positive and negative future events in a group of dysphoric adolescent in‐patients

OBJECTIVE This study aimed at experimentally affecting the fluency with which positive and negative future events are generated by depressive adolescents. METHOD Adolescent in-patients with elevated depression were randomized into a positive or negative mood induction condition (N=24 in each group) and then presented with the Future Thinking Task asking participants to generate as many future events of a specified valence as possible. RESULTS The inductions resulted in significant mood differences between groups. The assumed interaction between mood condition and reported positive and negative future events was confirmed. Particularly, the generation of negative future event representations differed between the mood induction groups. CONCLUSIONS Dysphoric adolescents given a negative mood induction differ from those given a positive mood induction in their ability to think of future positive and negative events that they might experience.