Greater Positive Affect Change after Mental Imagery than Verbal Thinking in a Student Sample

Nelis, Sabine; Vanbrabant, Koen; Holmes, Emily A.; Raes, Filip

doi:10.5127/jep.021111

Cited by 38 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…This positive affect reduction in the third-person perspective group was not replicated in another study (Nelis et al, 2012), in which there was no difference between the two imagery perspectives, both of which increased positive affect compared to general (non-perspective related) verbal processing. Shifting from the first- to third-person perspective for both positive memories and future imagined positive events, decreased positive emotions such as happiness, whereas the converse shift had no impact (Vella and Moulds, 2014).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…Four studies relating exclusively to positive memories or imagined positive scenarios were identified (Holmes et al, 2008; Gruber et al, 2009; Nelis et al, 2012; Vella and Moulds, 2014). …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two studies investigated experimentally-presented positive scenarios in non-clinical samples (Holmes et al, 2008; Nelis et al, 2012). Despite focusing on positive emotions, both studies administered clinically relevant measures, the BDI-II (Beck et al, 1996) and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory trait scale (STAI-T; Spielberger et al, 1983) to establish levels of depressive and anxious symptomatology within their sample.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Impact of Perspective Change As a Cognitive Reappraisal Strategy on Affect: A Systematic Review

Wallace-Hadrill

Kamboj

2016

Front. Psychol.

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The strategic or deliberate adoption of a cognitively distanced, third-person perspective is proposed to adaptively regulate emotions. However, studies of psychological disorders suggest spontaneous adoption of a third-person perspective reflects counter-productive avoidance. Here, we review studies that investigate the deliberate adoption of a third- or first-person vantage perspective and its impact on affect in healthy people, “sub-clinical” populations and those with psychological disorders. A systematic search was conducted across four databases. After exclusion criteria were applied, 38 studies were identified that investigated the impact of both imagery and verbal instructions designed to encourage adoption of a third-person perspective on self-reported affect. The identified studies examined a variety of outcomes related to recalling memories, imagining scenarios and mood induction. These were associated with specific negative emotions or mood states (dysphoria/sadness, anxiety, anger), mixed or neutral affect autobiographical memories, and self-conscious affect (e.g., guilt). Engaging a third-person perspective was generally associated with a reduction in the intensity of positive and negative affect. Studies that included measures of semantic change, suggested that this is a key mediator in reduction of affect following perspective change. Strategically adopting a “distanced,” third-person perspective is linked to a reduction in affect intensity across valence, but in addition has the potential to introduce new information that regulates emotion via semantic change. Such reappraisal distinguishes deliberate adoption of a distanced perspective from the habitual and/or spontaneous shift in perspective that occurs in psychopathology.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…Four studies relating exclusively to positive memories or imagined positive scenarios were identified (Holmes et al, 2008; Gruber et al, 2009; Nelis et al, 2012; Vella and Moulds, 2014). …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Impact of Perspective Change As a Cognitive Reappraisal Strategy on Affect: A Systematic Review

Wallace-Hadrill

Kamboj

2016

Front. Psychol.

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“…Experimental evidence for the impact of perspective on the emotional impact of imagery is more mixed: Holmes et al (2008a) found that using a field perspective when imagining positive scenarios resulted in a greater increase in positive affect than using an observer perspective, but Nelis et al (2012) did not find such an effect. Studies manipulating imagery perspective for negative intrusive imagery (Williams & Moulds 2008) or positive memories and future projections (Vella & Moulds 2013) have found that shifting from field perspective to observer perspective reduces vividness and associated emotion, but shifting from observer to field perspective does not consistently lead to increases in such characteristics.…”

Section: Mood Deterioration In Response To Positive Informationmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…However, there is still a gulf between this fundamental research and imagery of meaningful and emotion-laden events, and more research that speaks directly to the links between mental imagery, emotion, and clinical symptoms is required. Experimental work has demonstrated that compared to verbal processing, imagery has a more powerful impact on emotion (Holmes & Mathews 2005;Holmes et al 2006Holmes et al , 2008cNelis et al 2012). The impact on emotion is not just for fear, but for emotions also highly relevant in depression-positive and negative affect.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 95%

Mental Imagery in Depression: Phenomenology, Potential Mechanisms, and Treatment Implications

Holmes

Blackwell

Heyes

et al. 2016

Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol.

Self Cite

238

248

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Mental imagery is an experience like perception in the absence of a percept. It is a ubiquitous feature of human cognition, yet it has been relatively neglected in the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of depression. Imagery abnormalities in depression include an excess of intrusive negative mental imagery; impoverished positive imagery; bias for observer perspective imagery; and overgeneral memory, in which specific imagery is lacking. We consider the contribution of imagery dysfunctions to depressive psychopathology and implications for cognitive behavioral interventions. Treatment advances capitalizing on the representational format of imagery (as opposed to its content) are reviewed, including imagery rescripting, positive imagery generation, and memory specificity training. Consideration of mental imagery can contribute to clinical assessment and imagery-focused psychological therapeutic techniques and promote investigation of underlying mechanisms for treatment innovation. Research into mental imagery in depression is at an early stage. Work that bridges clinical psychology and neuroscience in the investigation of imagery-related mechanisms is recommended.

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The vividness of imagining emotional feelings in positive situations is attenuated in non‐clinical dysphoria and predicts the experience of positive emotional feelings

Tiba

Manea

2018

J Clin Psychol

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Greater Positive Affect Change after Mental Imagery than Verbal Thinking in a Student Sample

Abstract: This study sought to replicate previous work concerning

Cited by 38 publications

References 32 publications

The Impact of Perspective Change As a Cognitive Reappraisal Strategy on Affect: A Systematic Review

The Impact of Perspective Change As a Cognitive Reappraisal Strategy on Affect: A Systematic Review

Mental Imagery in Depression: Phenomenology, Potential Mechanisms, and Treatment Implications

The vividness of imagining emotional feelings in positive situations is attenuated in non‐clinical dysphoria and predicts the experience of positive emotional feelings

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