Positive affect mediates the association between fixed vs. malleable mindsets of mental health and prognostic pessimism
Similar to fixed and growth mindsets of intelligence (Dweck, 1999), beliefs about the malleability of mental illness may too range from believing mental health is a static trait to something that can be changed. In this study we aimed to determine whether an experimental manipulation of participants’ mental health mindsets produced differences in beliefs regarding the ability to recover from a chronic condition (i.e., prognostic pessimism). Further, we examined changes in positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) as a potential mechanism explaining the relationship between mindsets and prognostic pessimism, as they have been found to be related to optimism and pessimism (Chang et al., 1997; Gallagher & Lopez, 2009). Participants (180 undergraduates, 72.8% female, 66.1% Caucasian) were randomized to viewing social media posts that either represented mental illness as (1) a stable condition that is unchangeable (i.e., fixed) or (2) a temporary condition that can be treated (i.e., malleable). Participants completed measures of PA and NA before and after the manipulation and measures of general and treatment-specific prognostic pessimism after viewing the posts. Using OLS regression, condition was not significantly related to general prognostic pessimism (p = .77) or treatment-specific prognostic pessimism (p = .27). However, our multiple mediation model indicated that there was an indirect effect of condition on treatment-specific prognostic pessimism through PA, 95% bootstrap CI [-.44, -.01], such that the fixed condition predicted decreases in PA, which then predicted greater prognostic pessimism related to treatment. The indirect effect of NA was not significant, 95% bootstrap CI [-.04, .06]. Neither PA nor NA mediated the effect of condition on general prognostic pessimism, 95% bootstrap CI [-.06, .39]. These results suggest that environmental information (i.e., social media) about the malleability of mental health difficulties may influence beliefs about treatment through changes in PA.
Samantha,
Great work! This research is really interesting because I didn’t think that there will be a notion that mental illness is static as I’ve often learned that it is often very dynamic. However, I do understand that there could be that view, which is why I think that this research is great! Looking forward to seeing your future studies!
Excellent work Samantha! You make the MAPS lab proud!