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Self-Discrepancy Monitoring and its Impact on Negative Mood: An Experimental Investigation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2013

Gabriele Caselli ,
Alina Decsei-Radu ,
Francesca Fiore ,
Ciara Manfredi ,
Sara Querci ,
Sara Sgambati ,
Daniela Rebecchi ,
Giovanni M. Ruggiero  and
Sandra Sassaroli
Gabriele Caselli*
Affiliation:
London South Bank University, UK, and Studi Cognitivi, Milano, Italy
Alina Decsei-Radu
Affiliation:
University of Oradea, Romania
Francesca Fiore
Affiliation:
Studi Cognitivi, Milano, Italy
Ciara Manfredi
Affiliation:
Studi Cognitivi, Modena, and University of Pavia, Italy
Sara Querci
Affiliation:
Studi Cognitivi, Modena, Italy
Sara Sgambati
Affiliation:
Studi Cognitivi, Modena, Italy
Daniela Rebecchi
Affiliation:
Studi Cognitivi, and Servizio di Psicologia Clinica, Modena, Italy
Giovanni M. Ruggiero
Affiliation:
Studi Cognitivi, Milano, Italy
Sandra Sassaroli
Affiliation:
Studi Cognitivi, Milano, Italy
*
Reprint requests to Gabriele Caselli, Studi Cognitivi, Cognitive Psychotherapy School, Via Giardini 472/L, 41100 Modena, Italy, E-mail: g.caselli@studicognitivi.net
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Abstract

Background: The perception of self-discrepancies between the actual self and the ideal self has been defined as a cognitive risk factor for depression (Higgins, 1987). In this view, self-discrepancy monitoring (SDM) refers to the voluntary re-orientation of attention towards detecting discrepancies between ideal and actual selves, even in a positive situation. Aims: The goal of this study was to explore the impact of SDM on levels of mood in the face of positive stimuli. Method: Two clinical and two non-clinical samples were recruited from two different European countries (Italy and Romania). All participants were asked to focus on a past positive experience, and were then randomly allocated to one of two induction tasks. The experimental condition consisted of monitoring discrepancies between personal goals and the recalled positive experience, while the control condition consisted of observing what the participant was feeling. Results: The findings show that, after recalling a positive memory, SDM leads to a significant decrease in mood over a short period independent of the severity of depressive symptoms. This effect is partially mediated by the concurrent change in levels of brooding. Conclusions: Self-discrepancy monitoring in response to positive stimuli tends to lower current mood independent of the initial level of depressive symptoms, and seems to be a global trigger of emotional distress that does not refer only to a depressed cognitive style.

Keywords

Attentioncognitive processesdepressionmood disordersself-discrepancy
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 42 , Issue 4 , July 2014 , pp. 464 - 478
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2013 

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