Spontaneous thought characteristics are differentially related to heightened negative affect versus blunted positive affect in adolescents: An experience sampling study

Abstract Background Mind‐wandering has been linked to negative affect (NA) and depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, mind‐wandering is an extremely broad and heterogeneous cognitive construct. Some features of spontaneous thought may be related to increased NA, whereas others may improve affect, or have no emotional influence. We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to investigate the characteristics of spontaneous thoughts in adolescents and their differential relations with moment‐to‐moment affect. Method One‐hundred and sixteen adolescents (ages 13–18; Typical Mood [TM] = 58; Low Mood [LM] = 58) completed 5 days (2–3 times/day) of EMA (total 1037 surveys) assessing current positive affect (PA) and NA and dimensions of spontaneous thought. Multilevel models tested the relation between thought characteristics and affect. Results Relative to the TM group, LM adolescents had a higher frequency of mind‐wandering (38% vs. 56%) and negatively‐valanced thoughts during episodes of mind‐wandering (21% vs. 37%). Negatively‐valenced, self‐referential and past‐oriented thoughts were each associated with higher NA, even when controlling for plausible confounds (e.g., engagement in an unpleasant activity or social interaction, depressive symptom severity). In contrast, task‐focused and positively‐valenced thoughts were uniquely linked to higher PA. Conclusion Characteristics of spontaneous thought—including temporal orientation, self‐referential quality, and task‐relatedness—were differentially related to NA versus PA in adolescents. If replicated, these findings could inform more nuanced assessments of and targeted interventions for specific dimensions of mind‐wandering contributing to high NA versus blunted PA in teens.

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