Attentional control process in depressive rumination

• Main Authors: YA-CHING YANG, 楊雅清
• Other Authors: 卓淑玲
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/28918640234313234795

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 臨床心理學系碩士班 === 95 === Nolen-Hoeksema’s (1987) Response Styles Theory proposed that depressive rumination would maintain and exacerbate depressed mood. Although there were some overlap between the symptoms of depression and anxiety, the influence of this phenomenon on depressive rumination was seldom discussed in past research. In addition to individuals with high levels of depression were difficult to control attention (Beck et al., 1979), main characteristic of depressive ruminators was inability to control attention (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991). Did depressive rumination on depression contribute to individuals with high level of depression in attentional control? The purpose of this study was to find the mechanism of depressive rumination on depressed mood in a delicate way. The study not only considered overlapping symptoms of depression and anxiety but also explored the relationship among depressive rumination, depression and attentional control. The study presented the revision of the “Depressive Rumination Scale”. Then, a non-clinical sample (N = 108) of undergraduate students completed Depressive Rumination Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, attentional control task, and Self-relevant Check List. A factor analysis from the “Depressive Rumination Scale” revealed a two-factor solution: careful analysis and repetitive self-blame, and the scale had good internal consistency and retest reliability. Consistent with hypothesis, careful analysis, repetitive self-blame and depression were all significantly correlated. However, depressive rumination and depression remained correlated when anxiety were controlled. Further, careful analysis and depressive rumination were not correlated, but repetitive self-blame and depressed mood remained correlated when anxiety was controlled. Besides, anxiety moderated careful analysis and depression, and repetitive self-blame predicted depression directly. Consistent with hypothesis, the influence of interactions between depression and depressive rumination on individuals’ attentional control only occurred for negative stimuli, including emotional words, appraisable words and sad faces. In comparison with individuals with low level of depression, individuals with high level of depression rated higher self-relevant to negative stimuli.