2 - (SYM 41) Leveraging Ema-methods to Bridge the Contrast Avoidance Model and Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory to Examine Maintenance Factors of Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Introduction: The contrast avoidance model (CAM) suggests that perseverative thinking enhances and sustains negative affect to avoid a negative emotional contrast (sharp upward shift in negative affect) and enable the probability of a positive contrast (shift toward positive affect). Replicated findings demonstrate that chronic worriers are emotionally vulnerable to unexpected negative events and prefer sustained distress to protect themselves from adverse outcomes. However, research often assumes that individuals live in a theoretical vacuum, given that studies frequently ignore the intrinsic dynamic transactions between people and their environments as they move through their lives. Here, we present initial outcome data integrating CAM with the contemporary integrative interpersonal theory (CIIT) as a taxonomic framework to test if reinforcement of contrast avoidance occurs naturally during social interactions.

Methods: We utilized data from an ongoing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) investigation involving participants who met DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder and/or generalized anxiety disorder (N = 18) or a control group (N = 12) and who completed 8 prompts a day for 8 days. Using signal-contingent scheduling, we assessed social situations, pre-interaction state worry and rumination, interpersonal style in the service of contrast avoidance, and pre-post interaction positive and negative affect. Two- and three-level multilevel models were employed to evaluate the effects of pre-social interaction perseverative thinking on the use of interpersonal contrast avoidance behavior and its respective associations with negative and positive affect during social interactions.

Results: Worry and rumination, regardless of interaction valence, were both concurrently associated with increased use of interpersonal behavior to avoid negative contrasts and for all sub-types (affiliative, cold, dominant, and submissive). Moreover, during negative social situations, while adjusting for a person's average level, results found that modifying interpersonal behavior to avoid negative contrasts was associated with higher levels of negative emotion (ß = 0.18, SE = 0.05, t(481) = 3.77, p < .001, d = 0.34) from pre-interaction to post-interaction. 



Discussion: Findings support the prospective EMA proof-of-concept application of integrating an explanatory model, CAM, with an interpersonal taxonomy, CIIT, to investigate factors related to the maintenance of anxiety and depression.