Life is like a camera: A study of visual imagery on depression and mood.

Abstract

In healthy individuals, positive emotional memories are more likely to be recalled from first-person perspective (Berntsen & Rubin, 2006), while third-person perspective is more likely to be adopted in individuals suffering from depression (Kuyken & Howell, 2006; Lemogne et al., 2006). The present study examined whether the vantage perspective does indeed differ for healthy and dysphoric individuals. Also the possibility that self-photographs (‘selfies’) might similarly be equivalent as a third-person perspective and associated with depression, and self-esteem, is explored.

Part two of this study was a plot feasibility project, to assess if the Narrative Clip can be useful as an imagery-perspective manipulation for depressed individuals. We examined if the photographs taken from the Narrative Clip led to greater reliving, and was more appealing for the participants. A mixed sample of undergraduate students and community members (N = 47) conducted self-report measures of depression, self-esteem, and took 30 photographs from both vantage perspectives while wearing the Narrative Clip.

Results reveal that healthy participants indeed relive more first-person perspective memories. In contrast, mild dysphoric participants did not relive more third-person perspective memories. A significant relationship between the usage of selfies and mild dysphoric symptoms, and self-esteem was not found. Results of part two of the study reveal that participants did not find photographs from the Narrative Clip to lead to more reliving, and compared with the two vantage perspective points, not more appealing.

We speculate about the findings of these results and discuss the potential enhancements for the Narrative Clip. The limitations of the present study, as well as the implications for future research are discussed.