Anticipated & Anticipatory Emotions & Their Sensitivity to Depressive Symptoms

Clayton McClure, J. H., Riggs, K. J., Dewhurst, S. A., & Anderson, R. J. (2024). Differentiating anticipated and anticipatory emotions and their sensitivity to depressive symptoms. Emotion, 24(7), 1642–1651. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001371

Rationale

Previous research distinguished between anticipated emotions (expected future feelings) and anticipatory emotions (current feelings about future possibilities), but their relationship wasn’t well understood.

Anticipatory emotions appear to be weaker “foretastes” of anticipated feelings (Ernst et al., 2018) that relate more closely to one’s expectations of event likelihood (Carrera et al., 2012).

Both seem muted in depression, but only for positive events (Anderson et al., 2023; Gamble et al., 2021).

However, these findings emerged from studies lacking direct comparison between emotion types or using uncontrolled stimuli (e.g. self-selected goals).

Precise testing of anticipated-anticipatory differences and their links to depression requires standardized events varying objectively in valence. Furthermore, negative future-oriented emotions remain underexplored.

The present study tackles these issues via an innovative picture-text vignette paradigm. Its aims are to:

1. Verify anticipated-anticipatory differences for standardized positive and negative events.
2. Clarify their respective relationships with depressive symptoms.

Results can potentially explain depression’s motivational deficits and inform therapeutic interventions.

For instance, bridging the translation between anticipated and anticipatory feelings may be a productive focus.

Method

Picture-text vignettes depicting probable positive and negative future events served as stimuli in a 2 (emotion type: anticipated, anticipatory) x 2 (event valence: positive, negative) within-subjects design.

Depressive symptom level (CESD-R score) was a continuous predictor. Multilevel linear models analyzed effects on emotion valence and arousal ratings.

Procedure:

• Participants viewed picture-and-text vignettes depicting future events.
• Each participant saw 16 vignettes (8 positive, 8 negative).
• Rated both anticipated and anticipatory emotions for each vignette.
• Completed three blocks: anticipated emotions, anticipatory emotions, and control measures.
• Completed the CESD-R depression measure.

Sample

• 101 undergraduate psychology students
• 86% female
• Mean age: 21.2 years (SD = 5.5)
• Primarily British and Caucasian
• University of Hull students

Measures:

• Vignette stimuli: 32 picture-and-text vignettes depicting positive and negative future events.
• Anticipated and anticipatory emotion ratings: Valence (-50 to +50) and arousal (0 to 100).
• Control measures: Event likelihood and desirability (0 to 100 slider scales)
• CESD-R (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised): 20-item scale assessing depressive symptoms in past 1-2 weeks. Cronbach’s α = .92.

Statistical Measures:

Multilevel linear models with REML estimation were computed for valence and arousal.

Fixed effects: CESD-R score, emotion type, event valence, and interactions. Random intercepts: participant. Covariates: event likelihood and desirability.

Results

Hypothesis 1: Anticipatory emotions would be correlated with but weaker than anticipated emotions.

Anticipated and anticipatory emotions were correlated. Anticipated emotions were rated as more intense for positive events and overall arousal, but not for negative events.

• Partially supported
• Correlations found between anticipated and anticipatory emotions
• Anticipated emotions stronger for positive events and arousal
• No difference for negative events

Hypothesis 2: Both types of future-oriented emotion will covary negatively with depressive symptoms, with a steeper negative relationship for anticipatory emotions.

Depressive symptoms were associated with more polarized valence ratings for both positive and negative events. Anticipatory arousal declined with higher depressive symptoms, while anticipated arousal remained stable.

• Supported for arousal
• Higher depression associated with decreased anticipatory but not anticipated arousal
• Depression led to more polarized valence ratings for both positive and negative events

Insight

This study provides new insights into the relationship between anticipated and anticipatory emotions and how they are influenced by depressive symptoms.

The finding that anticipated and anticipatory emotions differ more for positive events than negative events suggests an asymmetry in how people process future-oriented emotions.

This could have implications for understanding optimism biases and how people motivate themselves for future goals.

The results showing that individuals with higher depressive symptoms have more polarized valence ratings for both positive and negative events challenges the common assumption that depression uniformly dampens emotional responses.

Instead, it suggests a more complex relationship between depression and emotional processing of future events.

The disconnect between anticipated and anticipatory arousal in more depressed individuals is particularly informative.

It suggests that even when people with depression can imagine feeling strongly about future events, they struggle to experience those emotions in the present moment.

This could help explain motivational deficits in depression and inform interventions.

Future research could explore:

• The causal relationship between anticipated and anticipatory emotions
• Physiological correlates of these emotion types
• How cultural factors influence future-oriented emotions
• Longitudinal studies to examine how these emotions change over time, especially in relation to depressive symptoms

Clinical Implications

The findings have significant implications for understanding emotional processing in depression and developing interventions.

The disconnect between anticipated and anticipatory emotions in more depressed individuals suggests that interventions should focus not just on helping people imagine positive future events, but on translating those imagined emotions into present-moment experiences.

This could involve techniques to enhance the vividness or personal relevance of imagined future events.

The asymmetry in processing positive vs. negative future-oriented emotions could inform cognitive-behavioral interventions, suggesting a need to specifically target positive future thinking.

The finding that depressive symptoms are associated with more polarized valence ratings challenges simplistic views of emotional blunting in depression and may require more nuanced therapeutic approaches.

For clinical practice, these results highlight the importance of assessing both anticipated and anticipatory emotions when working with depressed clients.

Therapists might help clients identify and bridge gaps between what they expect to feel and what they currently feel when thinking about future events.

The study also has implications for basic emotion research, suggesting that future-oriented emotions are more complex than often assumed and warranting further investigation into their underlying mechanisms and relationships.

Strengths

• Novel vignette paradigm allowing for standardized comparison of anticipated and anticipatory emotions
• Within-subjects design for direct comparison of emotion types
• Consideration of both positive and negative future events
• Inclusion of depressive symptoms as a continuous variable
• Use of multilevel modeling to account for nested data structure

Limitations

• Homogeneous sample of mostly female, Caucasian British university students limits generalizability
• Vignettes tailored to UK student demographic may not be applicable to other cultures or age groups
• Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences
• Reliance on self-report measures for emotions and depressive symptoms
• Potential confounds in vignette characteristics (e.g., likelihood differences between positive and negative events)

References

Primary reference

Clayton McClure, J. H., Riggs, K. J., Dewhurst, S. A., & Anderson, R. J. (2024). Differentiating anticipated and anticipatory emotions and their sensitivity to depressive symptoms. Emotion, 24(7), 1642–1651. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001371

Other references

Anderson, R. J., Clayton McClure, J. H., Boland, J., Howe, D., Riggs, K. J., & Dewhurst, S. A. (2023). The relationship between depressive symptoms and positive emotional anticipation of goal achievement. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 14(1).

Baumgartner, H., Pieters, R., & Bagozzi, R. P. (2008). Future-oriented emotions: Conceptualization and behavioral effects. European Journal of Social Psychology, 38(4), 685-696.

Carrera, P., Caballero, A., & Muñoz, D. (2012). Future-oriented emotions in the prediction of binge-drinking intention and expectation: The role of anticipated and anticipatory emotions. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 53(3), 273-279.

Keep Learning

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• What might explain the asymmetry between positive and negative future-oriented emotions?
• How might age-related changes affect the relationship between anticipated and anticipatory emotions?