Does affect induce self-focused attention?
Despite growing evidence that depression is linked with self-focused attention, little is known about how depressed individuals become self-focused or, more generally, about what arouses self-focus in everyday life. Two experiments examined the hypothesis that affect itself induces self-focused attention. In Experiment 1, moods were manipulated with an imagination mood-induction procedure. Sad-induction Ss became higher in self-focus than did neutral-induction Ss. Experiment 2 replicated this effect for sad moods by means of a musical mood-induction procedure and different measures of self-focus. However, Experiment 2 failed to support the hypothesis that happy moods induce self-focus. The results have implications for mood-induction research, self-focused attention, and recent models of depression.
Wood
J V
JV
State University of New York, Stony Brook.
Saltzberg
J A
JA
Goldsamt
L A
LA
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010556:Personality Tests; D012649:Self Concept