Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-59).

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S. in Applied Science (Operations Research))--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Nita Lewis Miller. Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-107). Also available online.

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The topic ofsubliminalperception (perception without awareness) is investigated in this thesis. A technique of masking by visual noise was developed for use with an IBM-type microcomputer and VGA screen. This technique was used to investigate whether subliminal mood priming influences subjects' resolution oflexical ambiguity in a homophone task designed by Halberstadt et al. (1995). Limited evidence was found for mood-congruent priming, but only for negative emotional priming, and with the most strongly negative items. Some non-specific effects were also found to be associated with negative mood priming. The mood-priming effect was correlated with the negative emotional ratings of these items obtained from a separate group ofsubjects. In a Follow-up study, a self-report mood scale was used to assess subjects' reaction to both negative and positive subliminal stimuli. A pattern oftrends was found which suggested that subjects experienced a paradoxical improvement in mood after exposure to the negative stimulus. No changes were observed in the group exposed to the positive stimuli. A theoretical explanation was entertained which suggested that subjects adaptively attributed their change in affective arousal in terms of experimental demands. of A number ofrelationships to recent research were suggested by these experiments, in particular the finding of a preattentive bias for negative information in subjects with anxiety and non-clinical depression by Bradley et al., (1994, 1995) and Mogg et al.,(1993). It is suggested that measures ofphysiological and cortical arousal should receive attention in future research in order to clarify the response to subliminal stimulation in terms of affective arousal. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

Recent studies have indicated stronger mood dependent memory (MDM) effects when subjects generate both the to-be-remembered events and the cues used in their retrieval, and when subjects who experience similar moods are compared to subjects who report a change in both pleasure and arousal, rather than others who report a change in pleasure alone. The first study was undertaken to experimentally evaluate the relationship between mood change and memory performance. Specifically, four mood manipulations were developed to compare memory performance in subjects assigned to no mood change, change in pleasure, change in arousal, or change in both pleasure and arousal. Subjects generated autobiographical events in response to neutral nouns, and were tested for free recall and recognition of these events two days later. Results demonstrated greater memory disruption after change in both pleasure and arousal than after change in pleasure alone. However, one-dimensional change in arousal led to as much memory disruption as did change in both dimensions. Separate ANOVAs compared each mood in combination with each other mood and indicated that MDM was more strongly supported in some combinations than others. Further, the pattern in free recall was different from the pattern in recognition indicating that MDM effects may vary interactively across moods and tasks. The second study was undertaken to validate prior research by employing subjects who experience large, but naturally occurring, changes in mood. Patients with rapid-cycling Bipolar Disorder performed a variety of tasks during study sessions and were tested for implicit and explicit memory during test sessions. Significant MDM effects were supported in free recall of autobiographical events and inkblot recognition, but not in implicit category production of autobiographical event probes, picture fragment completion, explicit nor implicit memory for letter associates. Results validate MDM as a real world phenomenon that impacts on explicit memory performance in subjects whose moods are not manipulated. Discussion centers on prospects for future studies that consider a wider range of manipulated moods and tasks, theories of emotion, and other clinical groups in the investigation of MDM.

The increasing incidence of adolescent depression calls for the study of individual difference factors that may impinge on psychosocial adjustment. Researchers have identified depressive personality styles, namely dependency and self-criticism, that represent distinct vulnerability orientations. A series of four studies was conducted to (1) examine the relation of the depressive styles to adolescent dysphoria and interpersonal functioning; (2) assess the Personality-Event Congruence Model of Depressive Vulnerability in youngsters; and (3) explore how dependency and self-criticism relate to the regulation of negative affect using an experience sampling methodology. Findings provide evidence for heightened vulnerability of adolescent self-criticism in terms of increased dysphoria and interpersonal problems, demonstrate the vulnerability of dependency during attachment-related transitions, and reveal the relation of depressive styles to distinctive patterns of poor mood management. Together, these studies highlight the need to help youngsters adopt strategies that may be effective in forestalling dysphoria, enabling healthy adaptation to developmental challenges.

There is a dearth in the literature examining the relationship between emotion and indirect language interpretation. The present research examined the influence of mood, using Forgas’ (1995) affect infusion model (AIM), on the interpretation of indirect meaning (Holtgraves, 1998). Following a mood induction task, participants engaged in a computerized language task (Holtgraves, 2000). Following the AIM, it was predicted that as reply-type became more complex and ambiguous, mood would have a greater influence on the interpretation of the reply-type as positive or negative. The results of the study did not follow from the predictions and the reasons for this are discussed. / Department of Psychological Science

Previous studies have demonstrated a moderate correlation between rejection sensitivity and depression. In a study of college females, researchers found that high levels of rejection sensitivity were associated with higher BDI scores following a partner initiated breakup (Ayduk, Downey, & Kim, 2001). Another study found that rejection sensitivity and depression are positively correlated for both males and females (Mellin, 2008). No studies to this date have examined the causal effects of depressed mood on rejection sensitivity, however. Cognitive theories would suggest that the relationship between the two may be reciprocal, with trait rejection sensitivity eliciting depression, but then the resulting depression priming individuals to be more sensitive to rejection. The current experiment investigates the causal effects of manipulated mood on levels of rejection sensitivity. Participants were 88 undergraduate students from a mid-sized Midwestern university. Participants were randomly assigned to experience a positive, negative, or neutral mood induction, using videos. Participants then completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X), to check the effectiveness of the mood induction procedure, and then the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ), to examine participants’ levels of rejection sensitivity. A one-way ANOVA on the PANAS-X scores indicated that the mood induction procedures were effective. Joviality scores were significantly higher in the positive mood group, than the neutral mood group, which were significantly higher than the negative mood group. Sad scores were significantly lower in the negative mood group than the neutral mood group, which were lower than the positive mood group. An ANOVA comparing RSQ scores was significant. Follow-up Tukey HSD tests indicated that participants in the positive mood group reported statistically lower levels of rejection sensitivity than those in the negative and neutral groups (who did not differ). Correlational analyses indicate that there is a significant positive correlation between PANAS Sad and RSQ scores (r = .258) and a significant negative correlation between PANAS Joviality and RSQ scores (r = -.257). These findings indicate that engaging in activities that elicit a positive mood (e.g., watching uplifting video clips) makes people feel good and allows them to develop different perceptions about social situations and rejection. It also provides support for the utility of positive psychology interventions. / Department of Psychological Science