Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression: A Longitudinal Study using Eye-gaze Tracking to Study Attentional Biases in Never Depressed, Non-Relapsed, and Relapsed Individuals

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atmire.migration.oldid4954
dc.contributor.advisorSears, Christopher
dc.contributor.authorNewman, Kristin
dc.contributor.committeememberDobson, Keith
dc.contributor.committeememberPexman, Penelope
dc.contributor.committeememberMcCrimmon, Adam
dc.contributor.committeememberCarleton, Nicholas
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-28T17:06:02Z
dc.date.available2016-09-28T17:06:02Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.date.submitted2016en
dc.description.abstractCognitive models of depression propose that attentional biases are an important cognitive vulnerability in those with a history of depression (e.g., Gotlib & Joormann, 2010; Yiend, 2010; Beck & Haigh, 2014). This study prospectively examined attentional biases in never and previously depressed individuals, who were separated into relapsed and non-relapsed groups. Analyses examined total fixation times, temporal profiles of attention, and prediction of relapse. The evidence from all analyses suggested that attention to positive information is a key vulnerability or resiliency factor related to depression relapse. Specifically, relapsed participants attended to positive images less overall, decreased attention to positive images over the study period, and exhibited significant differences in their temporal profiles of attention for positive images relative to those non-relapsed and never depressed. Less time attending to positive images at the initial visit was predictive of depression relapse, although limited by a small sample size. The attentional biases of the non-relapsed participants reflected both resiliency against and vulnerability to relapse, as they exhibited attentional biases to positive information similar to never depressed participants, but attended to depression-related information more than never depressed participants. Attention to depression-related information was not predictive of depression relapse. Overall, findings indicated that attentional biases to positive information may be most relevant to relapse vulnerability, whereas attentional biases to depression-related information may be more relevant to the maintenance of depressive episodes. The differences observed between relapsed and non-relapsed participants indicate that groups of previously depressed individuals are heterogeneous, which should be taken into account in future research that examines vulnerability to depression. The implications of the study findings are discussed as related to cognitive models of depression and the limitations that may contribute to inconsistent findings in the literature on attentional biases and cognitive vulnerability to depression.en_US
dc.identifier.citationNewman, K. (2016). Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression: A Longitudinal Study using Eye-gaze Tracking to Study Attentional Biases in Never Depressed, Non-Relapsed, and Relapsed Individuals (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25347en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/25347
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/3338
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectPsychology--Clinical
dc.subject.classificationClinicalen_US
dc.titleCognitive Vulnerability to Depression: A Longitudinal Study using Eye-gaze Tracking to Study Attentional Biases in Never Depressed, Non-Relapsed, and Relapsed Individuals
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineClinical Psychology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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