Cognitive Motivation as a Resource for Affective Adjustment and Mental Health

Abstract

Background: Depressive symptoms compromise cognitive and self-regulating capacities. Overcoming associated deficits (e.g., attentional bias) demands cognitive effort and motivation. Previous studies on healthy individuals have found cognitive motivation to positively relate to self-regulation and negatively to depressive symptoms. A test of these associations in a clinical sample is lacking.Methods: We assessed cognitive motivation, self-regulation and depressive symptoms by means of well-validated questionnaires in N = 1,060 psychosomatic rehabilitation in-patients before and after treatment. Data were split and analyzed in two steps: We tested previously reported cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of all variables as well as their longitudinal changes in a first sample. Afterward, findings and derived hypotheses were replicated and tested in a second sample.Results: Analyses of both samples confirmed earlier reports on positive associations between cognitive motivation and self-regulation, and negative associations of both with depressive symptoms. While the change in all variables was predicted by their baseline scores, higher baseline cognitive motivation was found to predict stronger improvements in self-regulation, and lower baseline depression scores to predict smaller changes in cognitive motivation and self-regulation. In addition, the change in cognitive motivation partially mediated the association between the changes in depressive symptoms and self-regulation.Conclusion: Based on a large longitudinal data set, the present study expands previous findings and suggests a resource allocation model in which decreasing depressive symptoms lead to a release of capacities benefitting self-regulation directly, and indirectly via cognitive motivation.

The role of the need for cognition in coping with difficulties – research review

“…As mentioned earlier in the present article, the need for cognition is connected with engagement in metacognition, that is, observation of one's own thoughts (Petty et al, 2009) as well as with self-control (Nishiguchi et al, 2016;Sandra, Otto, 2018). The ability to inhibit impulsive reactions and the willingness to reassess situations and one's own emotional reactions allows individuals with a high NFC to display an increased self-control (Strobel et al, 2021), and thus, be less likely to react with anger and aggression. There is no doubt that this ability has a beneficial impact on their social interactions.…”

“…The skills described above are particularly significant in the context of coping with difficulties. In comparison with individuals with a low need for cognition, those with a high NFC have at their disposal bigger resources for allocation of cognitive effort (Pessoa, 2009;Strobel et al, 2021). They are able to more frequently display adaptational behaviours connected with self-regulation and distance themselves (through reinterpretation of the situation) from negative stimuli.…”

“…Studies (Strobel et al, 2021) have shown that a high need for cognition is connected with a lower level of depression. Authors emphasize that the need for cognition allows the individual to adopt various points of view, change their perspective on events they experience in life, including difficulties, and apply active coping mechanisms.…”

“…It is categorized as an investment trait which determines "when, where, and how people invest time and effort in their intellect" (von Stumm, Ackermann, 2013, p. 841). NFC is a predictor of behaviours connected with realization of goals and allocation of resources (Fleischhauer et al, 2010), as well as self-regulation (Strobel et al, 2021).…”

Academic motivation in adolescents: the role of parental autonomy support, psychological needs satisfaction and self-control

“…Furthermore, motivation is linked not only to academic performance but also to the mental well-being of adolescents. For instance, research indicates that adolescents exhibiting elevated levels of motivation tend to experience greater life satisfaction (Luhmann and Hennecke, 2017) and reduced incidence of mental health problems (Strobel et al, 2021;Vella et al, 2021).…”