Negative interpretation bias as a mechanism of the relationship between rejection sensitivity and depressive symptoms

ABSTRACT

Rejection sensitivity and negative cognitive biases have been identified as important risk factors for depression. Rejection sensitivity is defined as the tendency to anxiously anticipate, easily perceive, and overreact to rejection. Although prior studies have found an association between one component of rejection sensitivity, the tendency to anxiously anticipate rejection, and depression, little is known about the mechanisms through which anxious anticipation of rejection might confer depression risk. One possibility is that rejection anticipation leads to negatively biased interpretations, a cognitive risk factor for depression. Results from two studies (one cross-sectional, one longitudinal) indicate that negative interpretation biases mediate the association between the anxious anticipation of rejection and depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that interpretation biases represent a mechanism through which anxious anticipation of rejection confers risk for depression, and suggest that interventions designed to challenge negative interpretations may help to decrease depression risk among individuals who anticipate rejection.

KEYWORDS:

• Rejection sensitivity
• dysphoria
• depression
• negative interpretation bias
• cognitive bias

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 As part of the aims of the parent study (Wisco & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2010), participants were randomly assigned to consider either themselves or one of two types of other individuals when completing the IBQ. Because self-relevant interpretations are most relevant to cognitive theories of depression and to the aims of this manuscript, we will only include participants who were assigned to consider themselves while completing the IBQ (n = 89).