A moderation effect of construing focal goals as ideals between depressive moods and the inhibition of alternative goals

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that activated goal pursuit automatically inhibits alternative goals that interfere in the pursuit of the focal goal. To examine how the negative moods (depression and anxiety) and goal types (ideals and oughts) influence intergoal inhibition, we conducted 2 experiments. In Experiment 1, 56 participants described an attribute they desired to attain. They then listed other attributes they wanted to attain. In Experiment 2, after describing one of their current goals, 57 participants were asked to describe other goals. The results showed that the ideality of the goal determined whether depression attenuated intergoal inhibition. When the focal goals were construed as highly ideal, depression did not attenuate intergoal inhibition. Alternatively, anxiety was shown to not be a predicter of intergoal inhibition. The process underlying the relationship between depression and intergoal inhibition is discussed.