Rehearsal partially mediates the negative relations of the fading affect bias with depression, anxiety, and stress

Abstract

The fading affect bias (FAB) is defined by unpleasant affect fading faster than pleasant affect. The FAB persists across several cultures and event types, and it is positively related to healthy outcomes and negatively related to unhealthy outcomes.Although the notion of the FAB as a healthy process fits well with contemporary theoretical perspectives, such as self-enhancement theory, few studies have (a) examined and established reliable relations between the FAB and psychological distress variables and (b) established overall rehearsal as a mediator of these relations. We examined and found reliable, negative relations between psychological distress and the FAB for combined data from several studies examining different event types.We also examined and showed that overall rehearsal partially mediated these relations. These findings help legitimize the relation of psychological distress and FAB as a reliable scientific phenomenon, show that the FAB results from cognitive mechanisms, and support therapeutic emotional memory reinterpretation.

Conservatism positively predicted fading affect bias in the 2016USpresidential election at low, but not high, levels of negative affect

“…Using past FAB research as a guide (e.g., Gibbons & Lee, 2019; Ritchie et al, 2009; Walker, Skowronski, Gibbons, et al, 2003), we expected unhealthy outcome variables to negatively predict the FAB and healthy outcome variables to positively predict the FAB in the usual ways. This prediction was partially supported by the results showing that negative PANAS, depression, and anxiety negatively predicted the FAB.…”

“…The current study used the entire brief version of the Big Five, personality factors, called the Mini Markers (Saucier, 1994). Based on past research that used neuroticism as a control variable (as discussed in Gibbons & Lee, 2019), the current study focused on the neuroticism (i.e., emotional instability) subscale of the Mini Markers. The neuroticism questionnaire asks participants to rate the extent that they believe in the accuracy of self‐descriptive adjectives (envious, fretful, jealous, moody, temperamental, touchy, relaxed, unenvious), on a 9‐point scale, ranging from 1 ( Extremely Inaccurate ) to 9 ( Extremely Accurate ).…”

“…The cognitive resource or memory mechanism responsible for the positivity bias resulting from the healthy coping process/reaction known as the FAB may very well be rehearsal. In addition to positively predicting FAB (Muir, Brown, & Madill, 2014; Ritchie et al, 2006; Skowronski et al, 2004), rehearsal mediates complex FAB effects across many contexts (Gibbons et al, 2013, 2016, 2017; Gibbons & Lee, 2019). The word “rehearsal” in these contexts refers to re‐exposure, in the form of thinking and/or talking, to the event that originally evoked the unpleasant or pleasant emotions.…”

“…The current study conceptually replicated previous FAB studies on events (e.g., alcohol, religion, and videogames) and related individual difference variables (e.g., alcohol consumption, positive religious coping, and videogame addiction) along with unhealthy and healthy outcome variables in the context of non‐political events and political events including the US Presidential election outcome. As past research statistically controlled for the personality trait, neuroticism (as discussed by Gibbons & Lee, 2019), the current study also assessed and controlled neuroticism.…”

“…As past research statistically controlled for the personality trait, neuroticism (as discussed by Gibbons & Lee, 2019), the current study also assessed and controlled neuroticism.…”