Process and meta-cognitive dimensions of depressive and anxious thoughts and relationships with emotional intensity

Cognitive theorists have argued that different types of thinking characteri ze different emotional states. Recently, in an information-processing model of emotional disorder, Wells and Matthews (1994 1996) argue that it is not only the content of thought but also the process and meta-cognitive dimens ions of particular types of thinking that may be implicated in problem main tenance. However, little is known about how different types of thinking ove rlap and differ. This study compared the process and meta-cognitive charact eristics of naturally occurring depressive and anxious thoughts in a non-cl inical sample. We also investigated relationships between thought dimension s and intensity of emotional responses for each type of thought. Subjects w ere provided with a diary for recording and rating the content of their fir st and second depressive and anxious thoughts occurring during a two week p eriod. The results showed that although depressive and anxious thoughts wer e rated similarly on a number of dimensions, significant differences emerge d, and particular dimensions of thought, other than belief level, were asso ciated with emotional intensity. The conceptual and clinical implications o f these findings are briefly discussed. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Son s, Ltd.