Thoughts of the Day
Blunted neural response to errors prospectively predicts increased symptoms of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic
Aislinn Sandre, Julia Banica & Anna Weinberg
Emotion, forthcoming
Abstract:
Symptoms of depression have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly due to increases in both chronic and episodic stress exposure. Yet these increases are being driven by a subset of people, leading to questions of what factors make some people more vulnerable. Individual differences in neural response to errors may confer vulnerability to stress-related psychopathology. However, it is unclear whether neural response to errors prospectively predicts depressive symptoms within the context of chronic and episodic stress exposure. Prior to the pandemic, neural response to errors, measured by the error-related negativity (ERN), and depression symptoms were collected from 105 young adults. Beginning in March 2020 and ending in August 2020, we collected symptoms of depression and exposure to pandemic-related episodic stressors at eight time points. Using multilevel models, we tested whether the ERN predicted depression symptoms across the first 6 months of the pandemic, a period of chronic stress. We also examined whether pandemic-related episodic stressors moderated the association between the ERN and depression symptoms. A blunted ERN predicted increased depression symptoms across the early part of the pandemic, even after adjusting for baseline depression symptoms. Moreover, episodic stress interacted with the ERN to predict concurrent symptoms of depression: For individuals exposed to greater episodic stress, a blunted ERN was associated with increased depressive symptoms at each timepoint during the pandemic. These findings indicate that blunted neural response to errors may enhance risk for depression symptoms under conditions of real-world chronic and episodic stress.
Perceiving a Stable Self-Concept Enables the Experience of Meaning in Life
Charles Chu & Brian Lowery
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, forthcoming
Abstract:
We test the hypothesis that the perception of stability in one's self-concept (i.e., future self-continuity) enables the experience of meaning in life because perceiving a stable sense of self confers a sense of certainty to the self-concept. Study 1 provided initial evidence of the influence of future self-continuity on feelings of meaning in life (MIL) in a nationally representative sample. In Studies 2a and 2b, we manipulated future self-continuity by varying the expectedness of one's future self, demonstrating the causal influence of future self-continuity on self-certainty and feelings of MIL. Study 3 again manipulated future self-continuity, finding an indirect effect on feelings of meaning in life via self-certainty. Our findings thus suggest the experience of meaning in life arises from the perception of a stable sense of self. We discuss the implications for the antecedents and conceptualization of MIL as well as the nature of the self-concept.
Does shared positivity make life more meaningful? Perceived positivity resonance is uniquely associated with perceived meaning in life
Michael Prinzing, Khoa Le Nguyen & Barbara Fredrickson
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, forthcoming
Abstract:
Pleasantness and meaningfulness are sometimes seen as opposing pursuits. Yet past research has found that the pursuit of meaning often leads to pleasure. In four longitudinal studies -- three observational, one experimental, ranging from 5 weeks to 18 months -- we investigated an inverse process, whereby specific kinds of pleasant states can foster a sense of meaning in life. We hypothesized that perceptions of positivity resonance, a form of coexperienced positive affect characterized by mutual care and synchrony, are experienced as particularly meaningful in the moment and, over time, build social resources (e.g., supportive relationships and communities) that foster an enduring sense of meaning in life. Results indicate that perceived positivity resonance is associated with perceived meaning both between- and within-persons, links that emerge independently of overall pleasant emotion and social interaction quantity. Perceived social resources mediate between-persons links, and changes in perceived social resources mediate longitudinal links. Overall, these findings suggest that coexperienced, caring, and synchronous pleasant states may be uniquely suited to cultivating a person's sense that life is meaningful.
Emotionally Coping with Terrorism
Antoine Banks, Heather Hicks & Jennifer Merolla
Public Opinion Quarterly, Winter 2022, Pages 812-836
Abstract:
Individuals often experience anger after exposure to news about a terrorist attack. Are the coping strategies available to them effective in reducing anger, and with what consequences for policy attitudes? We argue that because terrorism is a complex problem, people should feel better distancing themselves from the threat than engaging in confrontive strategies against it, and this should lead to less extreme attitudes. Across three experimental studies, we induced anger about terrorism and then randomly assigned participants to different opportunities to cope with their anger. The findings show that an emotion-focused coping strategy of distancing oneself from the threat is more effective at reducing anger than a problem-focused coping strategy involving support for confrontational strategies to address it. Furthermore, only distancing strategies reduced extreme stances on terrorism policy. These findings help us understand why some people may disengage from politics, even when angered by it.
Reducing social media use improves appearance and weight esteem in youth with emotional distress
Helen Thai et al.
Psychology of Popular Media, forthcoming
Abstract:
Adolescence and young adulthood are vulnerable periods in which mental health challenges often emerge. Cross-sectional research has shown that high social media use (SMU) is associated with poor body image in youth, a known predictor of eating disorders; however, high-quality experimental evidence is scarce, limiting the ability to make causal inferences. The present study experimentally examined the effects of reducing smartphone SMU on appearances and weight esteem in youth with emotional distress. A randomized controlled trial was conducted where 220 participants (17-25 years; 76% female, 23% male, and 1% other) were assigned to either an intervention (SMU limited to 1 hr/day) or control (unrestricted access to SMU) group. SMU was monitored via screen time trackers and submitted daily during 1-week baseline and 3-week intervention periods. Baseline and post-intervention measurements were taken to assess changes in appearance and weight esteem. Compared to the controls, the intervention group yielded significant increases in both appearance (p < .022) and weight esteem (p < .026). The intervention group significantly increased in appearance esteem (from M = 2.95 to 3.15, p< .001, dz = 0.33) and weight esteem (from M = 3.16 to 3.32, p< .001, dz = 0.27), whereas the control group did not significantly change (appearance: M = 2.72 to 2.76, p = .992, dz = 0.13; weight: M = 3.01 to 3.02, p = .654, dz = 0.06) from baseline to post-intervention. No effects of gender were detected. Findings suggest that reducing SMU on smartphones may be a feasible and effective method of improving body image in a vulnerable population of youth.