Work

Effects of preoccupation on interpersonal recall: a pilot study

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The aim of this pilot study was to examine whether priming preoccupation (rumination) in healthy participants adversely affects the processing of interpersonal information. METHODS: Sixty female undergraduates with moderate or marked preoccupation proneness (selected on the basis of their high preoccupation on eating, shape, and weight issues) were randomized to receive either a general preoccupation prime, a standardized preoccupation prime, or a control prime. Following the prime, participants watched an 8-min videotape of a family interaction and then were asked free recall questions about the tape. RESULTS: Participants who received the general preoccupation prime scored lower than the other two groups in response to free recall questions regarding emotion-related topics. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that when primed by everyday worries and concerns, individuals prone to preoccupation may have their capacity to recall emotion-related interpersonal information compromised.

Source: Depression and Anxiety

DOI: 10.1002/da.20472

Authors: Annukka Lehtonen, Natasha Jakub, Michelle Craske, Helen Doll, Allison Harvey, Alan Stein

Institutions: Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Berkeley

Language: English

Topic: Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Wellcome Trust