Top, A. (Anne) (2014) Dynamics of affect in daily life: affect fluctuations and affect reactivity and their association with depressive symptoms. thesis, Medicine.
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Abstract
Background Affect fluctuates in daily life, partly in reaction to events. Extensive research on affect fluctuations and affect reactivity has been done so far, but more thorough research is necessary to gain more insight in affect fluctuations and affect reactivity in healthy individuals, especially regarding positive events and positive affect. While affect reactivity to negative events has been identified as an important factor in depression, the association between depressive symptoms and affect reactivity (specifically to positive events) and affect fluctuations has scarcely been studied. The aim of the present study was to gain more insight in (1) which affect dimensions (Positive affect Active (PA), Positive affect Deactive (PD), Negative affect Active (NA) and Negative affect Deactive (ND)) show the largest fluctuations, (2) which affect dimensions are most influenced by events in daily life, and (3) how these affect characteristics are related to depressive symptoms (as measured by the SCL-90). Method The experience sampling method (ESM) was used for the assessment of these affect characteristics in 71 healthy female students. GLM repeated measures analyses were performed to examine affect fluctuations and affect reactivity. The association between the affect characteristics and depressive symptoms were assessed with stepwise regression analyses. Results Largest fluctuations were found in positive affect compared to negative affect. The four affect dimensions (PA, PD, NA and ND) were not differentially influenced by negative events, whereas positive events influenced the four affect dimensions all to a different extent. The influence of positive events on positive affect, and especially PA, is larger than the influence of positive events on negative affect. Depressive symptoms correlate with fluctuations in PA, NA and ND, but the regression analysis showed solely an association between fluctuations in ND and depressive symptoms. NA and ND reactivity to positive events were associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusions This study highlighted the importance of including a complete affect measure, with items both high and low in arousal. Furthermore, the results of previous studies on depressed individuals regarding positive event reactivity were the same in healthy individuals with depressive symptoms. Negative affect reactivity on positive events was associated with depressive symptoms. Combining this result with the finding that depressive symptoms were associated with larger ND fluctuations, new approaches for the prevention and treatment of depressive disorders can be developed.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Thesis) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Oldehinkel, Prof. Dr. A.J. and Bennik, E. PhD student |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Jun 2020 10:47 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2020 10:47 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/835 |
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