Degree Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

1990

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Frederick X. Gibbons

Abstract

This study examined the cognitive biases that influence processing of information about possible outcomes for the self. Well-developed expectancies were predicted to bias processing in favor of expectancy-consistent information, whereas poorly-developed expectancies were predicted to bias processing in favor of information that was inconsistent with existing expectancies. Depressed and nondepressed young adult female subjects were presented with scenarios set in either the proximal future (2 months from now) or distal future (25 years from now) with either positive or negative possible outcomes;Randomized factorial analyses of variance were conducted on three different dependent variables: recall, mood change, and state self-focus. The results generally failed to support the predictions of either expectancy-consistent or expectancy-inconsistent biases in the cognitive processing of information related to possible outcomes for the self. Recall results showed a general bias in favor of negative scenarios, and depressed subjects showed better recall for proximal than distal scenarios, suggesting a depressive myopia processing bias. Mood results for nondepressed subjects showed partial support for the expectancy-inconsistent hypothesis. State self-focus results also showed support for a depressive myopia effect. The lack of support of the hypotheses was discussed in terms of unexpected cognitive processing effects for information related to possible selves in the proximal and distal future.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31274/rtd-180813-9210

Publisher

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University, http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/

Copyright Owner

Michael Lee Huston

Language

en

Proquest ID

AAI9110509

File Format

application/pdf

File Size

125 pages

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