ATTENTIONAL ALLOCATION PROCESSES IN INDIVIDUALS AT RISK FOR DEPRESSION

Cognitive models of depression typically emphasize cognitive schemas a s important variables in the depression process. To date, evidence of these schemas is difficult to detect in remitted depressed individuals unless they have specifically been activated by factors such as negat ive moods. The present study tested one aspect of schema activation, a ttentional allocation, in individuals who had previously experienced a major depressive episode. Using a dichotic listening task to assess a ttention to negative and positive stimuli, results indicated no differ ences in non-mood-primed subjects. For subjects who had been primed by a negative mood induction, formerly depressed individuals evidenced g reater error rates for both negative and positive stimuli, while never -depressed subjects evidenced decreased error rates for negative and p ositive stimuli. These results appear to suggest a schema activation p rocess that is emotionally diffuse but unique to individuals at risk f or depression.