Interpretation of ambiguous bodily sensations: the roles of mood and perseveration

Perseverative thinking occurs within anxiety disorders. this study examined whether panic-relevant catastrophic misinterpretation of ambiguous bodily sensations occurs immediately on experiencing the sensation, or as a result of iterative perseverative thought processes. Participants were 60 nontreatment-seeking undergraduates. a 2 × 2 mood-as-input procedure was adopted to generate differential amounts of perseverative iteration of an ambiguous bodily sensation (Mood induction: positive, negative; Stop rule: as many as can, Feel like continuing). Participants underwent a bodily sensations reflection task; number of thoughts represented the extent of perseveration. Consistent with mood-as-input predictions, perseveration was greatest in groups in a negative mood deploying as many as can stop rules or in a positive mood deploying Feel like continuing stop rules. the first and final steps in the perseverative thought sequence were rated significantly more negative (by the participant and independent rater) if the participant had undergone a negative mood induction, and participants in the negative mood condition rated the final consequence of the iteration process as a greater cause for concern. In negative mood states, negatively biased interpretations are generated immediately in the initial thought. however, perseveration did not add further negative value to the interpretation. In fact, perseveration was negatively correlated with negative interpretations.