Who exhibits cognitive biases? Mapping heterogeneity in attention, interpretation, and rumination in depression.
Abstract
= 232) by assessing three biases: (a) attentional dwell time on sad stimuli, (b) negative interpretation of ambiguous stimuli, and (c) brooding rumination. The k-means clustering revealed distinct subgroups for each cognitive feature when considered separately. Latent profile analysis combining the three indicators identified two clear profiles: a "high-bias" group (38%) with above-average scores on all three measures-especially interpretation bias-and a "low-bias" group (62%) with below-average scores. Elastic-net regression showed membership in the high-bias profile was associated with greater anhedonia, feelings of inadequacy, generalized anxiety, lower educational attainment, and unemployment. These findings demonstrate that negative cognitive biases are not uniformly present among depressed individuals, highlighting the value of tailoring interventions to bias-defined subgroups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Fields of Study & Subjects
Anxiety
Depression
Psychometrics
Treatment
Cognitive Processes
Mental Health Research Topics
Perfectionism
Procrastination
Anxiety Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science
- Publisher
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- Publication date
- 26 January 2026
- Language
- EN