Interpretation biases in daily life – Do mood, interpretation biases, and depressive symptoms go hand in hand?

A tendency to interpret ambiguous situations negatively is strongly associated with depression. However, the temporal dynamics of the relationship between such a negative Interpretation bias (IB) and Depression symptoms remain unclear. This study investigated the dynamic relationships between IB, depressive symptoms, and mood using both a daily diary design and longitudinal assessments. A non-clinical sample (N = 581) completed short daily measures of IB, depressive symptoms, and mood over 14 days. Standard assessments of IB and depressive symptoms completed at baseline were repeated at 2- and 4-week follow-up. Analysis of the daily data using Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPM) indicated a robust trait-level association between IB and both depressive symptoms and mood, suggesting stable correlated individual differences. However, there was no evidence of predictive day-to-day associations. Regression analyses of the longitudinal data revealed that baseline IB significantly predicted depressive symptoms two and four weeks later. Overall, results replicate previous findings of both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between negative IB and depression symptoms, but suggest that day-to-day fluctuations in an individual’s negative IB are not associated with day-to-day fluctuations in their depression symptoms or mood. Future research should further explore how IB unfolds on even narrower time scales and could contribute to the onset and maintenance of depression over time.