stop rules: mood & perseverative thinking
DESCRIPTION
Stop Rules: Mood & Perseverative Thinking. Graham Davey University of Sussex, UK www.papersfromsidcup.com http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-we-worry / Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/GrahamCLDavey. Collaborators. Frances Meeten Suzanne Dash Fergal Jones - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Stop Rules: Mood &
Perseverative Thinking
Graham DaveyUniversity of Sussex, UK
www.papersfromsidcup.comhttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-we-worry/
Follow me on Twitter at:http://twitter.com/GrahamCLDavey
Collaborators
Frances MeetenSuzanne DashFergal Jones
Benie MacDonaldHelen StartupGary Britton
Jack HawksleyJason Chan
Chris Brewin
Introduction• Perseveration is a defining element of many
psychopathologies• Examples include worrying (GAD), checking
(OCD), rumination (in major depression)• Perseverative activities are usually ‘neutralizing’
activities• Linked to meta-cognitive and global beliefs about
how to deal with distressing emotions
What is mood-as-input?
• Stop Rules• The Role of Mood as Information• Vulnerability of Clinical populations to
using Mood as Information
What are ‘stop rules’?
• Relate to Task Motivation• Performance Focused OR
Task Focused• Decision Rules• ‘As Many as Can’ (AMA) OR
‘Feel Like Continuing’ (FL)
AMA FL
Worry Stop Rule Check List
• I must find a solution to this problem, so keep thinking about it.
• I must try and think about the worst possible outcome, just in case it happens
• I must think everything through properly
• What’s done is done, so what’s the point in worrying?
• I don’t have time to think about this now
• Stop worrying, things always work out for the best.
The Catastrophizing Interview
1. I’m worried about not being able to move2. That I would be attacked in some way3. That I would not be able to fight back4. That I would not be able to control what other people did to me5. That I would feel inadequate6. That other people would begin to think I was inadequate7. That in my relationship with those people I would not be respected8. That I would not have any influence over others9. That other people would not listen to me10. That it would cause a loss of self-esteem11. That this loss of self-esteem would have a negative effect on my relationships with others12. That I would lose friends13. That I would be alone14. That I would have no-one to talk to15. Because it would mean that I would not be able to share any thoughts/problems with other people16. That I would not get advice from others17. That none of my problems would be adequately sorted out18. That they would remain and get worse19. That eventually I would not be able to cope with them20. That eventually my problems would have more control over me than I had over them21. That they would prevent me from doing other things22. That I would be unable to meet new people and make friends23. That I would be lonely
What do we know about stop rules?
• Often not easily verbalizable• Can often be derived from dispositional
characteristics or meta-beliefs about emotional control strategies
• Stop Rules represent the way that metacognitive beliefs are operationalized
• Stop rule type is linked to mood• Stop rules interact with mood to determine
perseveration at a task (the ‘Mood-as-Input Hypothesis’, Davey, 2006, Meeten & Davey, 2011).
Stop Rules & Psychopathology
• High Worriers more likely to endorse AMA Stop Rules (Davey et al., 2005)
• Deployment of AMA stop rules is increased with Negative or Distressed Mood (Dash & Davey, 2012)
• Clinically Depressed individuals report preferential use of AMA stop rules for Rumination (Chan, Davey & Brewin, 2013)
• BDI Scores are significantly associated with AMA use for Rumination (Vappling et al., unpub)
Dash & Davey (2012)Mood & Worrying Stop
Rules
AMA0
10
20
30
40
50
Negative Mood Neutral MoodCognitive Priming
Britton & Davey (2011)Mood & Checking Stop
Rules
AMA FL0
10203040506070
Negative MoodPositive Mood
Stop Rules & Depressive Rumination
Chan, Davey & Brewin, 2013
Stop Rules & Metacognitive Beliefs
• Positive Beliefs about Rumination predict AMA stop rule use (Chan, Davey & Brewin, 2013)
• Positive Beliefs (but not Negative Beliefs) about Rumination predict Rumination length (Meeten et al., submitted)
• Positive Beliefs (but not Negative Beliefs) about Worry are predicted by Negative Mood (Adams et al., unpublished)
Stop Rule interaction with Mood
Hawksley & Davey, 2010
Mood-as-input & Clinical Populations
• Negative moods and ‘perfectionist’ styles are common – so why don’t most people acquire perseverative psychopathologies?
• What is special about clinical populations that puts them at risk of developing perseverative psychopathologies?
Factors affecting the informational value of
mood• The discounting hypothesis (Schwarz & Clore,
1983)• Knowledge & Expertise• Cognitive Load (Siemer & Reisenzein (1998)
Knowledge & Expertise: The
Example of Worry• Clinical Populations possess characteristics that
potentially impair an objective assessment of solutions for worries:o Poor problem-solving confidence (Davey, 1994)o Feelings of Personal Inadequacy (Davey & Levy, 1998)o Possess an Intolerance of Uncertainty (Dugas et al., 2004)o Have a Narrow Negative Focus (Gasper & Clore, 2002)o Possess an Avoidance Coping Style (Davey, 1993)
Low Problem-Solving Confidence & Worry
• Individuals low on Problem-Solving Confidence are more likely to deploy AMA Stop Rules
• Individuals low on Problem-Solving Confidence are more likely to show a strong correlation between mood and ratings of goal attainment in a social problem-solving task
Implications for Interventions
• Socialization to the Mood-as-Input Model: Explain the Dynamics of how Stop Rules interact with Mood
• Identify any AMA Stop Rules and help the Client to change those Rules
• Help the Client to become aware of Negative Moods and find ways to Manage those Moods
A brief 4-session intervention for high
worriers MAI 1 MAI 2 MAI+Bf Bf
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
Outcome4-week follow-up
Cha
nge
in P
SWQ
scor
es (a
neg
ativ
e nu
mbe
r ind
icat
es a
de
crea
se fr
om b
asel
ine)
Dash et al., submitted
Conclusions• Goal-Guided Stop Rules can be Identified in Many
Types of Perseverative Psychopathology• Stop Rules are linked to Positive Metacognitive
Beliefs• Stop Rules interact with Concurrent Mood to
generate perseveration• Clinical Populations possess characteristics that
will tend them towards using Mood as Information• Interventions that target Stop Rules and Negative
Mood can successfully reduce Symptoms