Symposia
Cognitive Science/ Cognitive Processes
Alvaro Sanchez-Lopez, Ph.D.
Assistant professor
Complutense University of Madrid
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Teresa Boemo, MA
PhD student
Complutense University of Madrid
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Oscar Martin-Garcia, MA
Predoctoral researcher
Complutense University of Madrid
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Ana Mar Pacheco-Romero, MA
PhD Student
Complutense University of Madrid
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Ivan Blanco, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
Assistant Professor
Complutense University of Madrid
Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid, Spain
Background. Interpretation biases have been typically studied from the perspective that tendencies to interpret ambiguous information negatively are causal mechanisms of emotion dysregulation and psychopathology. However, current research is considering how tendencies to interpret information in a preferential positive manner might serve for adaptive purposes of positive affect and mental health promotion. Yet, no studies have modelled the interplays among positive interpretation biases, emotion regulation and resulting positive states as they occur during daily life functioning. In our study, we used an experience sampling method (i.e., ESM) to study the momentary interplay among these processes, as they ecologically unfold during individuals’ daily life functioning.
Methods. The sample comprised 103 participants (mean age= 20.12 years, 87.62% women) who completed an ESM protocol during ten consecutive days, with three assessments per day. Self-reported use of emotion regulation strategies (i.e., positive rumination, dampening) was measured in relation to the previous most positive event occurring since the last assessment. Momentary affect was self-reported at the moment of completing each assessment. At each assessment, participants also completed an online variant of the scrambled sentence test assessing momentary tendencies to interpret ambiguous information in a positive manner (20 trials per beep, time limit: 10 sec for each trial).
Results. Multilevel models were used to determine a) the influence of previous (t-1) and ongoing (t) affect states in interpretation bias levels (t), as well as b) the role of previous interpretation bias levels (t) in predicting subsequent emotion regulation use and affective states (t+1). Using this advanced methodology, we found support for a common relation between both previous and ongoing positive affect levels on higher momentary manifestations of positive biases, B= b=0.02, and b=0.008, both p < .001, respectively. Further, higher momentary positive biases predicted subsequent higher use of positive rumination and lower use of dampening, B=1.42, and B=-0.62, both p< .001, and, ultimately, higher positive affect levels, B=0.92, p< .001.
Discussion. Our study is the first to demonstrate a dynamic interplay between the momentary activation of positive interpretations, positive affect and its regulation as they unfold moment-to-moment in daily life. These findings inform new venues to study and intervene cognitive mechanisms implicated in well-being promotion.