Beevers, C. G., & Carver, C. S. (2003). Attentional bias and mood persistence as prospective predictors of dysphoria. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 27, 619-637.
This study examined whether either a negative attentional bias or
mood persistence would interact with intervening life stress to predict
future increases in dysphoria among college students (N = 77).
Dysphoria was assessed in the lab, and then attentional bias was
measured with a dot-probe task before and after a negative mood
induction. Mood recovery following the induction was also
assessed. Seven weeks later, dysphoria and intervening life stress were
measured. Prior shifts in attention toward negative information
following a negative mood induction interacted with intervening life
stress to predict increases in dysphoria 7 weeks later. Slower mood
recovery following the mood induction also combined with intervening
life stress to predict increased dysphoria at follow-up. These
vulnerabilities each explained unique variance in follow-up dysphoria.
Results suggest that both attentional bias and mood persistence may
have significant roles in depression susceptibility.
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