E-ISSN : 2733-4538
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of imagery processing on positive affect, behavioral motivation, and anhedonic symptoms. For this purpose, participants with anhedonic symptoms of depression were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, namely, an imagery processing condition (n=33) and a verbal processing condition (n=32). The experiment consisted of activity scheduling and practice designed to induce the pleasure experience regarding that activity in each processing mode. In both conditions, increases in positive affect and behavioral motivation, and a decrease in the level of anhedonic depression were observed. Participants in the imagery processing condition, however, reported greater enhancement in positive affect and anhedonic symptoms than did those in the verbal processing condition. Results indicate that boosting anticipatory pleasure for future events through mental imagery could alleviate anhedonic symptoms of depression, with increases in positive affect and behavioral motivation. In the final section, the implications and limitations of this study as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.
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