The impact of mood induction on the accessibility of positive and negative future events in a group of dysphoric adolescent in‐patients

Abstract

Objective. This study aimed at experimentally affecting the fluency with which positive and negative future events are generated by depressive adolescents.Method. Adolescent in-patients with elevated depression were randomized into a positive or negative mood induction condition (N=24 in each group) and then presented with the Future Thinking Task asking participants to generate as many future events of a specified valence as possible.Results. The inductions resulted in significant mood differences between groups. The assumed interaction between mood condition and reported positive and negative future events was confirmed. Particularly, the generation of negative future event representations differed between the mood induction groups.Conclusions. Dysphoric adolescents given a negative mood induction differ from those given a positive mood induction in their ability to think of future positive and negative events that they might experience.