Abstract
The tendency to ruminate (i.e., repetitive negative self-referential thoughts that perpetuate depressive mood) is associated with (a) an elevated propensity to maladaptively experience counterfactual thinking (CFT) and regret, and (b) hypo-activity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The goal of this study was to investigate whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left DLPFC, in function of self-critical rumination tendencies, momentarily reduces counterfactual thinking and regret (assessed via self-report and psychophysiological indices). Eighty healthy participants with different levels of self-critical rumination received either anodal or sham tDCS while performing a decision making task in which they were repeatedly confronted with optimal, suboptimal, and non-optimal choice outcomes. The results showed that among rumination-prone individuals, anodal (versus sham) tDCS was associated with decreased CFT and attenuated psychophysiological reactivity to the differential choice outcomes. Conversely, among low rumination-prone individuals, anodal (versus sham) tDCS was associated with increased CFT and regret, but in absence of any effects on psychophysiological reactivity. Potential working mechanisms for these differential tDCS effects are discussed. Taken together, these results provide initial converging evidence for the adaptive effects of left prefrontal tDCS on CFT and regret to personal choice outcomes among individuals prone to engage in self-critical rumination.
Highlights
The tendency to ruminate is associated with (a) an elevated propensity to maladaptively experience counterfactual thinking (CFT) and regret, and (b) hypo-activity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)
The goal of this study was to (a) investigate whether, as a function of tendencies towards selfcritical rumination, anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left DLPFC momentarily attenuates CFT and regret, and (b) to explore psychophysiological correlates of this hypothesized tDCS effect in response to varying choice outcomes related to goal progress
The goal of the present study was to investigate whether, as a function of habitual tendencies towards self-critical rumination, anodal tDCS over the left DLPFC momentarily attenuates CFT and regret, and to explore psychophysiological correlates of this hypothesized tDCS effect in response to varying choice outcomes related to goal progress
Summary
The tendency to ruminate (i.e., repetitive negative self-referential thoughts that perpetuate depressive mood) is associated with (a) an elevated propensity to maladaptively experience counterfactual thinking (CFT) and regret, and (b) hypo-activity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). When individuals are confronted with progress towards a personal goal that is either blocked (i.e., non-optimal) or unsatisfactory (i.e., suboptimal), they may, in varying degree, contemplate about the possible outcomes of alternative choices in the past, referred to as counterfactual thinking (CFT), and experience self-blame regret[3,8,9,10,11]. These responses are most likely to occur when individuals have the perception that another personal, incorrigible decision in the past might have led to more favorable results (lost o pportunities[12]). Because it has been consistently shown that women display greater rumination propensities, (for a meta-analysis, see Johnson et al.55), to reduce variability, and thereby increase statistical power, the current study focused exclusively on females
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