Motivations to Experience Happiness or Sadness in Depression: Temporal Stability and Implications for Coping With Stress

Millgram, Yael; Joormann, Jutta; Huppert, Jonathan D.; Lampert, Avital; Tamir, Maya

doi:10.1177/2167702618797937

Cited by 52 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…In summary, the current findings represent a call for greater theoretical work on the interplay between reward sensitivity and punishment sensitivity. Clinical theories that focus on positively valenced constructs such as positive emotionality, reward sensitivity, reward motivation, and extraversion may be complemented with closer study of their negatively valenced counterparts (e.g., Carl, Soskin, Kerns, & Barlow, 2013;Khazanov & Ruscio, 2016;Millgram, Joormann, Huppert, Lampert, & Tamir, 2019;Naragon-Gainey & Watson, 2014;Naragon-Gainey, Watson, & Markon, 2009;Watson, Stasik, Ellickson-Larew, & Stanton, 2015). The BAS dysregulation model, for example, has accurately identified the central role that the BAS plays in longitudinally predicting fluctuations in mania and depression (Alloy, Bender, Wagner, Abramson, & Urosevic, 2009;Urosević et al, 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As such, some findings may have been partially impacted by other factors associated with clinical severity, such as limited insight, current mood and response style (Chmielewski & Watson, 2009;Klein et al, 2011;Watson, 2004). Future meta-analyses may account for these concerns by including behavioral (e.g., Millgram et al, 2019;Treadway et al, 2012) and biological measures (e.g., DelDonno et al, 2015) in their assessments of reinforcement sensitivity. These measures are more theoretically aligned with the biological-behavioral foundation of RST (J.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reinforcement sensitivity, depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis and meta-analytic structural equation model

Katz

Matanky

Aviram

et al. 2020

Clinical Psychology Review

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Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) posits that individual differences in reward and punishment processing predict differences in cognition, behavior, and psychopathology. We performed a quantitative review of the relationships between reinforcement sensitivity, depression and anxiety, in two separate sets of analyses. First, we reviewed 204 studies that reported either correlations between reinforcement sensitivity and self-reported symptom severity or differences in reinforcement sensitivity between diagnosed and healthy participants, yielding 483 effect sizes. Both depression (Hedges' g = .99) and anxiety (g = 1.21) were found to be high on punishment sensitivity. Reward sensitivity negatively predicted only depressive disorders (g =-.21). More severe clinical states (e.g., acute vs remission) predicted larger effect sizes for depression but not anxiety. Next, we reviewed an additional 39 studies that reported correlations between reinforcement sensitivity and both depression and anxiety, yielding 156 effect sizes. We then performed meta-analytic structural equation modeling to simultaneously estimate all covariances and control for comorbidity. Again we found punishment sensitivity to predict depression (β = .37) and anxiety (β = .35), with reward sensitivity only predicting depression (β =-.07). The transdiagnostic role of punishment sensitivity and the discriminatory role of reward sensitivity support a hierarchical approach to RST and psychopathology. Highlights: Sensitivity to punishment positively predicts both depression and anxiety. Sensitivity to reward discriminates between them, negatively predicting depression. This pattern was observed even when directly controlling for comorbidity. Depression's effect sizes are uniquely sensitive to clinical state. Depression's effect sizes are also moderated by method of clinical assessment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reinforcement sensitivity, depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis and meta-analytic structural equation model

Katz

Matanky

Aviram

et al. 2020

Clinical Psychology Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…However, recent studies suggest that interventions could also be useful for targeting ER goals. Relative to healthy controls, patients with MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) prefer to feel negative emotions (e.g., sadness; Millgram et al, ) and are less likely to down‐regulate them (Millgram, Joormann, Huppert, Lampert, & Tamir, ); but see Thompson, Kircanski, and Gotlib (). These studies indirectly suggest that chronically wanting to feel negative emotions may put individuals at greater risk for MDD.…”

Section: An Individual Difference Approach To Er Goalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotion regulation goals: An individual difference perspective

Eldesouky

Gross

2019

Social & Personality Psych

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Goals are widely understood to be central to the initiation, maintenance, and cessation of emotion regulation (ER). Recent studies have shown that there are profound individual differences in the types of ER goals people pursue and the extent to which they pursue them. Here, we highlight the importance of taking an individual difference approach to studying ER goals. First, we use the extended process model of ER to provide conceptual clarity on what ER goals are and describe the crucial role of goals in each stage of ER. We then identify five promising directions for future research using an individual difference approach to ER goals.

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“…It seems obvious that individuals suffering from MDD make every effort to reduce such aversive emotional states in order "to feel better." Paradoxically, however, individuals with depressive symptoms were shown to actively maintain their feelings of sadness, e.g., by exposing themselves voluntarily to sad stimuli (e.g., music, pictures) (Garrido and Schubert, 2013;Millgram et al, 2019Millgram et al, , 2015. Why would individuals with MDD deliberately choose affective states that contribute to their own unhappiness?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sad as a Matter of Evidence: The Desire for Self-Verification Motivates the Pursuit of Sadness in Clinical Depression

Arens

Stangier

2020

Front. Psychol.

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Background: Research on desired emotions revealed that individuals want to feel negative emotions if they expect these emotions to yield certain benefits. In previous studies, the pursuit of sadness (e.g., via pursuing art that evokes sadness) has been attributed to hedonic motives, i.e., to feel pleasure. We propose that in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) the pursuit of sadness may be more strongly related to self-verification motives, i.e., to sustain their sense of self through feeling sad.Methods: Participants with MDD (n = 50) were compared to non-depressed controls (n = 50) in their desired emotional states, as indicated by selected music (sad, happy and neutral), and in their motives (hedonic vs. self-verification) for choosing sad music. Groups were also compared in their self-reported general preference for sadness and the perceived functionality of sadness.Results: MDD participants showed a significant higher desire for sadness; more than half of them deliberately chose sad music. Whereas MDD participants had a marked preference for self-verification over hedonic motives, the reverse was true for nondepressed controls. MDD participants also agreed more strongly with self-verifying functions of sadness and expressed a stronger general preference for sadness.Conclusion: Findings indicate that emotion regulation in MDD might be driven by selfverification motives. They point to the relevance of exploring patients' desired emotional states and associated motives. The systematic integration of positive affect into the selfimage of depressed patients might help to deemphasize the self-verifying function of sadness, thereby overcoming the depression.

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Motivations to Experience Happiness or Sadness in Depression: Temporal Stability and Implications for Coping With Stress

Cited by 52 publications

References 72 publications

Reinforcement sensitivity, depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis and meta-analytic structural equation model

Reinforcement sensitivity, depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis and meta-analytic structural equation model

Emotion regulation goals: An individual difference perspective

Sad as a Matter of Evidence: The Desire for Self-Verification Motivates the Pursuit of Sadness in Clinical Depression

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