Experimental investigations of the relations between mood and intrusive unwanted cognitions

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out in order to test the hypothesis that unwanted intrusive thoughts are difficult to remove during dysphoria. In the first experiment, 32 people who experienced unwanted thoughts were induced to feel happy or sad, and then asked to remove selected intrusive or neutral thoughts. The hypothesis was supported, but as the mood-induction procedure was felt to be unsatisfactory, a second study was undertaken. The substitution of a musical mood-induction procedure for the Veiten card procedure produced superior results, and the hypothesis that intrusive unwanted thoughts are difficult to remove during dysphoria was supported once more.