The overall goal of the proposed research is to create and test novel targeted intervention techniques for depression (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) based on grant-supported gains in our knowledge about differences in the psychology of failure for individuals with promotion concerns about accomplishment and advancement vs. prevention concerns about security and responsibility. The proposed research will investigate, with both clinical and non-clinical participants, those psychological characteristics of self- regulatory failures that both distinguish between dejection/MDD and anxiety/GAD and permit new and distinct treatments for MDD and GAD. Grant-supported developments in understanding the functioning of regulatory focus orientations (promotion vs. prevention), regulatory fit (when the manner of goal pursuit sustains or disrupts the goal pursuit orientation), and regulatory engagement (when fit increases or non-fit decreases the strength of goal pursuit engagement), provide the foundation for studying the unique characteristics of promotion failure associated with MDD symptomatology vs. prevention failure associated with GAD symptomatology. Project I will investigate differences between promotion and prevention failure, respectively, in the relative importance of comparing one's current self-state to one's past self vs. one's desired future self, and the importance of failing to attain a gain vs. failing to avoid a loss. Project II will develop and test new intervention techniques for treating depression and GAD based on the findings of Project I. Project III will investigate how a promotion failure can generally decrease attraction to possible gains (anhedonia) and a prevention failure can generally increase repulsion to possible losses (generalized anxiety). Project IV will develop and test new intervention techniques for treating MDD and GAD based on the findings of Project III. Project V will use knowledge gained from Projects I &III to improve measures assessing the self-regulatory failures underlying depression and GAD (Project V). The proposed studies will use proven, grant-supported methods for studying the motivational effects of failure for the purpose of translation to clinical interventions.
The proposed studies will investigate the unique psychological characteristics of the promotion failure that is associated with depression and the prevention failure that is associated with generalized anxiety disorder. Translational research will link advances in understanding these differences in the psychology of failure to developing and testing new and targeted techniques for treating depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
The proposed studies will investigate the unique psychological characteristics of the promotion failure that is associated with depression and the prevention failure that is associated with generalized anxiety disorder. Translational research will link advances in understanding these differences in the psychology of failure to developing and testing new and targeted techniques for treating depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
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