----- Original Message ----- > Subject: Does taking a survey on X lead to X behavior? > From: Miguel Roig <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Tue, 08 Nov 2005 07:40:59 -0800 > X-Message-Number: 1 > > Hi folks. I wonder if anyone is aware of any evidence indicating that the > act of taking a questionnaire or survey (e.g., the Beck Depression > Inventory) can lead the individual to experience the very phenomena that > the questionnaire is attempting to tap (e.g., depressive thoughts, possibly > suicidal ideation).
The general question is, as others have pointed out, an aspect of reactivity to the mode of observation or the measurement device. However, if you are concerned with a specific situation, such as the BDI inducing a state of depression, there may be theoretical reasons to believe that it might happen but only in specifc (vulnerable?) populations. More below. > It seems to me that evidence from the priming > literature makes the above situation a likely scenario. I am familiar with Lyn Abramson and her colleagues work on depression and their use of the "Velten Mood Induction Procedure" (clinicians on the list may be able to point to others who use this procedure) in inducing "neutral", "elation", and "depressive" states. I've attached a copy of the abstract from Velten's (1968) original research article below. It is possible that clinicians and social psychologists (e.g., E. Tory Higgins?) may have done research relevant to your question. As search of PsycInfo and Medline may be helpful and clinicians and social psychologists here may have more specific info and/or pointers to the literature. > If so, then such > situations raise some interesting risk/benefit implications regarding the > use of these questionnaires in certain patient/student populations. Any > thoughts? My limited knowledge and understanding of the Velten and how it has been used experimentally to induce "depression" in college students lead me to make the following tentative statements: (a) students who have a history of depression (specifically, major depression, dysthymia, perhaps other subtypes) may have a tendency to develop a "negative" or "depressive" mmod to a sustained presentance of "negative emotional material" or "statements about depressive states". I think that it may be possible that taking something like BDI might "nudge" such people into a slight more depressed state -- but the clinicians among us might know better and there may be research on this point. Instead of using a self-report measure of depression like the BDI, using an observer-based measure like the Hamilton (clinicians may know of other observer-based schemes for assessing depression), would bypass the inducement effect but self-other assessments of depression do not always agree. Bottom line: one might have to be concerened with using something like the BDI which, in schema theory, may trigger the activation of a depressogenic schema which could lead to a (temporary?) depressed mood. (2) In the abstract below, Velten mentions that us of a scale of "Hypnotic Susceptibility" which I interpret as also reflecting a person's "suggestibility" (I am open to correction on this point). It would seem to me that a highly suggestible person may be sensitive to environmental clues and may have more of response to measurement instruments that can induce positive or negative moods. However, if such people don't have a history of depressive illness/disorders, I'd imagine that their reaction would be temporary. In summary, it seems possible that people with significant histories of prior depression (perhaps other mentall illnesses?) may be at risk for some "induced depressed" by responding to certain instruments like the BDI. However, it is my understanding that the Velten uses more detailed materials to achieve its effects and that the mood can be reversed by using "positive mood induction" (I believe something like this done in experiements where the Velten is used to eliminate the induced depression). As a non-clinician, my own feeling is that the risks of taking the BDI is relatively small unless you have a subject who is presently in an extreme state (i.e., currently experiencing an episode of major depression with suicidal ideation). It also occurs to me that another "vulnerable population" would be people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder where responding to certain items on the BDI or other instrument may trigger memories of the traumatic effect which would have to be dealt with. I defer to the clinicians on this issue. It probably is worthwhile to talk to some clinicians on this point, especially if they had used the Velten or similar procedures. -Mike Palij New York University [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************** Behavior Research & Therapy. 1968. Vol. 6. pp. 473 to 462. Pergamon Press. Printed in Englmd A LABORATORY TASK FOR INDUCTION OF MOOD STATES* EMMETT VELTEN, JR. University of Southern California (Received 15 May 1965) Summary-One hundred female college students were administered the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A, to provide a measure of primary suggestibility. In a 2nd hr, each S was randomly assigned to one of five individual treatments of 20 Ss each. One group read and concentrated upon 60 self-referent statements intended to be elating; a second group read 60 statements intended to be depressing. A third group read 60 statements which were neither self-referent nor pertaining to mood. This group controlled for the effects of reading a nd experimental participation per se. Fourth and fifth groups received demand characteristics control treatments designed to produce simulated elation and simulated depression, respectively. Two measures of pre-treatment mood level were obtained from each S at the beginning of her individual treatment. Following treatment, as criteria for elation and depression, seven behavioral task measures were obtained. Four of these distinguished significantly among the treatment groups. The comparative performance of Ss in the three control groups indicated that the obtained mood changes could not be attributed to artifactual effects. Moreover, post-experimental questionnaire data strongly supported the conclusion that Elation and Depression treatments had indeed respectively induced elation and depression. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
