Browsing by Author "Zaunmüller, Luisa"

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    Affective impact and electrocortical correlates of a psychotherapeutic microintervention: An ERP study of cognitive restructuring
    (Psychotherapy Research, 2014-01-01) Zaunmüller, Luisa; Lutz, Wolfgang; Strauman, Timothy J
    Objective: Psychotherapy for depression emphasizes techniques that can help individuals regulate their moods. The present study investigated the affective impact and electrocortical correlates of cognitive restructuring, delivered as a 90-minute psychotherapeutic microintervention in a dysphoric sample. Method: Participants (N = 92) who reported either low or high levels of dysphoric symptoms were randomly assigned to the restructuring microintervention, a control intervention or a no-intervention condition. We obtained recordings of event-related potentials (ERPs) as well as mood self-ratings during an experimental session immediately after the psychotherapeutic microintervention and the control intervention in which a set of negatively valenced pictures (IAPS) was presented with different instructions. Results: Whereas the restructuring intervention group and the control intervention group reported both increases in positive and decreases in negative affect from pre- to post-intervention, the three groups differed significantly on ERP measures. Conclusions: Findings provide support for current models of mechanisms of action in cognitive therapies. © 2013 © 2013 Society for Psychotherapy Research.
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    Self-Regulation and Mechanisms of Action in Psychotherapy: A Theory-Based Translational Perspective
    (Journal of Personality, 2013-12-01) Strauman, Timothy J; Goetz, Elena L; Detloff, Allison M; MacDuffie, Katherine E; Zaunmüller, Luisa; Lutz, Wolfgang
    Psychotherapy is a complex, multilayered process with the potential to bring about changes at multiple levels of functioning, from the neurobiology of the brain to the individual's role in the social world. Although studies of the mechanisms by which psychotherapy leads to change continue to appear, there remains much to be learned about how psychological interventions work. To guide explorations of how and for whom particular treatment approaches lead to change, researchers can rely on theory to identify potential loci for change and on translational research methods to integrate basic behavioral science and neuroscience with clinical science. In this article, we describe research linking individual differences in the self-regulation of personal goal pursuit with the etiology and treatment of mood disorders. The research draws upon regulatory focus theory as a model of self-regulation and on microintervention designs-controlled laboratory investigations of a specific therapeutic technique-to generate and test hypotheses about how psychological interventions can help to reverse maladaptive self-regulatory processes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.