Exploring the relation between visual mental imagery and affect in the daily life of previously depressed and never depressed individuals
Open accessAbstract
Previously depressed individuals experience disturbances in affect. Affective disturbances may be related to visual mental imagery, given that imagery-based processing of emotional stimuli causes stronger affective responses than verbal processing in experimental laboratory studies. However, the role of imagery-based processing in everyday life is unknown. This study assessed mental imagery in the daily life of previously and never depressed individuals. Higher levels of visual mental imagery was hypothesised to be associated with more affective reactivity to both negatively and positively valenced mental representations. This study was the first to explore mental imagery in daily life using experience sampling methodology. Previously depressed (n = 10) and matched never depressed (n = 11) individuals participated in this study. Momentary affect and imagery-based processing were assessed using the "Imagine your mood" smartphone application. Participants recorded on average 136 momentary reports over a period of 8 weeks. The expected association between visual mental imagery and affective reactivity was not found. Unexpectedly, in both previously and never depressed individuals, higher levels of imagery-based processing of mental representations in daily life were significantly associated with better momentary mood and more positive affect, regardless of valence. The causality of effects remains to be examined in future studies.
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A few selected EMA studies did not report compliance information.
“A few studies did not report this information [35,40,41,42,51,57,60].”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [57]
The association between imagery-based processing and better mood was similar in healthy and depressed participants.
“This pattern was similar in healthy and depressed participants.”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [57]
Imagery-based processing was associated with better mood, regardless of the valence of the mental representation.
“Imagery-based processing was associated with better mood, regardless of the valence of the mental representation.”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [57]
No association between mental imagery and affective reactivity was observed.
“no association between mental imagery and affective reactivity was observed”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [57]
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Colombo, D., Fernández-Álvarez, J., Patané, A., Semonella, M., Kwiatkowska, M., García-Palacios, A., Cipresso, P., Riva, G., & Botella, C. (2019) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm8040465 · Cited by 194 · see citing works
- Authors
- Slofstra, C., Nauta, M. H., Holmes, E. A., Bos, E. H., Wichers, M., Batalas, N., Klein, N. S., & Bockting, C. L. H.
- Affiliations
- University of Groningen (NL)
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
- Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Bockting, Claudi L.H.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Cognition and Emotion
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2017-08-17
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1131-1138
- ISSN
- 0269-9931 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-0600
- OpenAlex
- W2747226515
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 2.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Cognition & Emotion (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- TU/e Research Portal (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- TU/e Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- ZonMW (1710002401, 100002035, 022.003.038)
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Keywords
- visual imagery, emotional reactivity, depression, momentary mood, positive affect, emotional valence, mental representation, ecological momentary assessment, mobile application
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Aged, Depression, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Imagination, Male, Middle Aged, Young Adult
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