Are Social Comparisons Detrimental for the Mood and Self-Esteem of Individuals with an Affective Disorder?

Fuhr, K; Hautzinger, Martin; Meyer, Thomas D.

doi:10.1007/s10608-014-9656-2

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 77 publications

(105 reference statements)

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“…These findings are in line with research indicating that upward social comparison can be experienced in a negative way (Buunk & Gibbons, 2007) that increases negative affect (Fuhr, Hautzinger, & Meyer, 2015). Our findings are also in line with research indicating that anticipation of guilt feelings for letting other people down may lead individuals to avoid forming interdependent partnerships with people they see as more competent than themselves (Wiltermuth & Cohen, 2014).…”

Section: Effect Of the Coplayer Rank On Emotional And Behavioral Resp...supporting

confidence: 92%

Social avoidance in depression: A study using a social decision-making task.

Fernández-Theoduloz¹,

Paz

Nicolaisen-Sobesky³

et al. 2019

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

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Depression significantly affects interpersonal functioning. Social avoidance may play an important role in depression, limiting opportunities and social skills acquisition, contributing to the maintenance of social difficulties. In the last few years, the need for studying social interactions using interactive tasks has been highlighted. This study investigated social avoidance in unmedicated depressed (n ϭ 26) and matched healthy control (n ϭ 26) participants, using a novel computerized social decision-making task (the TEAM task). In this task, participants choose between a social option (playing in a team with a coplayer) and an individual option (playing alone). Although the social option is more profitable from a material point of view, it can also be challenging because of social comparison and guilt feelings for failing the team. It was found that the higher the rank of the coplayer, the stronger the negative emotions (shame, guilt) reported by participants and the more they opted for the individual option. Depressed participants reported significantly less positive (happiness) and more negative (shame, guilt, disappointment) feelings regarding the task. Importantly, depressed participants chose the individual option significantly more often than controls, which led to lower gains in this group. Furthermore, as the task progressed, controls selected the individual option less often, whereas depressed participants selected the individual option more often. Our findings illustrate the importance of social avoidance in depression and how this behavior can lead to negative consequences. They also highlight the role of social comparison and guilt-related processes in underlying social avoidance in depression. General Scientific SummaryIn this study, we used a novel computerized social decision-making task to investigate social avoidance in depression. Our findings suggest that social avoidance plays a key role in depression, limiting individuals from opportunities and contributing to poor life quality. Furthermore, this study supports the notion that social comparison and guilt-related processes may underlie social avoidance in depression.

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Section: Effect Of the Coplayer Rank On Emotional And Behavioral Resp...supporting

confidence: 92%

Social avoidance in depression: A study using a social decision-making task.

Fernández-Theoduloz¹,

Paz

Nicolaisen-Sobesky³

et al. 2019

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

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“…Experimental paradigms within clinical studies are severely lacking, yet the findings here provide some support for observational studies with regard to affective reactions and the relevance of comparison salience. The two experiments appear to contradict each other with regard to differences between depression groups and controls; however, the comparison dimensions differed, where Buunk and Brenninkmeijer (2001) focused on mental health, which could be considered more salient to a depressed sample than environmental concerns used by Fuhr et al (2015). This suggests that the salience of the comparison dimension may determine how individuals evaluate and react to SC information, as well as general interest in SC (e.g., SCO), which implicates individual differences at the stage of acquiring SC information.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Fuhr, Hautzinger, and Meyer (2015) experimentally induced upward or downward SC in outpatients with a lifetime diagnosis of major depression and healthy controls. The paradigm used a manipulated computer‐based brainstorming task for generating ideas to protect the environment.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This indicates that individuals who are more interested in acquiring SC information will also experience greater affective reaction to relevant stimuli that they perceive as positive or negative; however, further depression-level differences are limited as group differences were not reported and depression was treated as a continuous variable. Fuhr, Hautzinger, and Meyer (2015) experimentally induced upward or downward SC in outpatients with a lifetime diagnosis of major depression and healthy controls. The paradigm used a manipulated computer-based brainstorming task for generating ideas to protect the environment.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Exploring the association of social comparison with depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

McCarthy

Morina

2020

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

104

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Research has highlighted the role of social comparison processes in varying affect and psychological wellbeing. These processes can provide greater insight into cognitions and behaviours related to depression and anxiety disorders. This review aimed to examine the relationship of social comparison with depression and anxiety in clinically relevant samples, using a process-based approach. Studies of clinical and subclinical populations that utilized observational or experimental social comparison assessment were considered for review. A systematic literature search in Medline and PsycInfo databases produced 54 relevant studies (49 studies on adults and five on child and adolescent populations), 14 of which were suitable for a meta-analysis. A meta-analysis of the association of social comparison evaluation with depression and anxiety in clinical populations revealed weighted correlations of −0.53 and − 0.39, respectively. No subclinical studies were included in a meta-analysis due to a lack of comparable outcomes. Evidence suggests differences between depression and anxiety disorders in information seeking, where frequency and diversity of social comparisons vary; however, studies comparing disorders are lacking. Heterogeneity of experimental studies precluded inclusion in a meta-analysis. A narrative review of experimental data indicated depression and anxiety status is related to reactions to upward comparisons in the domains of affect and behaviour, where individual differences in evaluation can determine affective reactions and how comparison information is further sought. This review suggests social comparison has a significant association with depression and anxiety. However, the limited number of studies with clinical populations necessitates further research on social comparison processes in clinical samples.

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“…The manipulation check indicated that these instructions were followed, as participants in the stretching condition indicated comparing themselves with other group members. To the extent that the stretching participants evaluated themselves against group members with a downward social comparison style, they may have had more positive affect (Fuhr et al, 2015) and less reactivity to the dysphoric stressor.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brief mindful yoga intervention fails to prevent depression-related outcomes after a dysphoric affect induction

Vollbehr,

Hoenders,

Bartels-Velthuis

et al. 2023

Journal of Experimental Psychopathology

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Objectives This study was designed to test whether a brief mindful yoga intervention can prevent depression-related responses to dysphoric events. Methods One-hundred-75 undergraduate participants were assigned to one of four conditions in a single-session study. Three conditions received a dysphoric affect induction. Before the induction, participants completed a 20-minute intervention consisting of (a) mindful yoga, (b) stretching, or (c) relaxation control. The fourth condition consisted of a neutral affect induction to examine the validity of the dysphoric affect induction. We hypothesized that compared to relaxation control and stretching, mindful yoga participants would show less: (H1) state depressed affect; (H2) rumination; and (H3) attentional bias toward depression-related words. Results Validity checks indicated that the dysphoric affect induction led to greater state depressed affect and rumination, but not attentional bias. Compared to relaxation control, mindful yoga did not show less state depression, rumination, or attentional bias. The stretching group showed less depression and rumination. Conclusions The results do not provide support for mindful yoga in preventing depression-related reactivity. It may be that when given in a brief, one-time dose, stretching is the better choice for preventing negative outcomes from a subsequent dysphoric experience.

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Are Social Comparisons Detrimental for the Mood and Self-Esteem of Individuals with an Affective Disorder?

Cited by 6 publications

References 77 publications

Social avoidance in depression: A study using a social decision-making task.

Social avoidance in depression: A study using a social decision-making task.

Exploring the association of social comparison with depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Brief mindful yoga intervention fails to prevent depression-related outcomes after a dysphoric affect induction

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