Metacognitive monitoring of self-devaluative attitudes in depressed mood: an investigation of the interacting cognitive subsystems framework

Abstract

During the last decade, cognitive psychologists investigating depression have focused their attention on the representation of meaning, and the nature of processing that underpins the maintenance and recurrence of depressed states (e.g., Interacting Cognitive Subsystems (ICS) framework: Teasdale & Barnard, 1993). Research in this area has looked at the processing of dysfunctional meanings, in particular, metacognitive monitoring (e.g., Sheppard & Teasdale, 2000). In accord with ICS theory, Gilbert's (1992) social rank theory of depression places an emphasis on social context in the development and maintenance of depressed states. The current research thesis used both the ICS framework and Gilbert's social rank theory to empirically study the nature of depressive thinking. This research replicated and extended the work of Sheppard and Teasdale (2000) on the monitoring of dysfunctional attitudes in depression, using university students who were and were not experiencing depressed mood. Social cognition research (e.g., Fazio & Williams, 1986) has shown that faster responses to attitudinal statements have predictive behavioural significance, and that slower responses may indicate more reflective, "controlled" processing. A response latency paradigm is useful for investigating the processing behind responses that are consistent with, or diverge from, the schematic models ("schematically consistent responses") assumed to be operating in depressed states. Participants' response latencies for agreements and disagreements with statements from a computer-administered version of the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale were measured in both studies. For both studies, it was predicted that the depressed group would endorse more self-devaluative attitudes and that they would be faster to make schematically consistent responses (e.g., fast agreements with dysfunctional attitudes). Study 1 examined the monitoring of attitudes of self-deficiency and negative social comparison in depressed mood by measuring endorsement of dysfunctional attitudes about the self and attitudes that signalled increased estimates of the capabilities of other people. Results indicated that the depressed group endorsed more dysfunctional attitudes about the self compared with the nondepressed group. However, there was no evidence to suggest that depressed mood is associated with increased estimates of other people's capabilities. In addition, the entire sample demonstrated an adaptive pattern of monitoring dysfunctional attitude responses. Study 2 further investigated monitoring of dysfunctional ideas in depressed mood and addressed possible methodological flaws of Study 1. In addition to DAS statements, the second study used a new measure of negative social comparison that was explicitly based on empirical work by Allan and Gilbert (1995). The results indicated that the depressed group agreed with more dysfunctional ideas about the self and, made more negative social comparisons than the nondepressed group. In comparison with the nondepressed participants, depressed participants demonstrated a maladaptive pattern of monitoring of responses. The depressed group took longer to monitor responses that were inconsistent with the operation of dysfunctional schematic models. Practical and theoretical implications of the research are discussed, in addition to limitations and directions for future research.