Embodiment and depression

• Applicants: Dr. Dirk Adolph; Professor Dr. Johannes Michalak
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2012 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 227762874

The major aim of the proposed studies is to investigate the interaction between motoric and emotional processes in depressed individuals. Using an ambulatory system in Study 1 gait patterns of 50 currently depressed individuals and 50 never depressed control participants will be recorded over a period of 12 hours. Relevant gait parameters (e.g., gait speed, posture) and more global motoric patterns (proportion of standing, lying, sitting and walking) of both groups will be compared. Moreover, participants¿ mood will be continuously recorded to enable longitudinal analysis of the associations between mood and motoric activity. In Study 2 participants (N = 132) will receive gait feedback to change their gait either in a more depressed or in a more happy gait pattern. In condition 1 feedback on posture will be given, in condition 2 feedback on dynamic gait parameters (e.g., vertical up- and down-movements of the body, arm swing; posture will not be changed). The aim of Study 2 is to investigate, whether changes in static posture or in dynamic gait parameters have stronger effects on the memory bias for negative material that is characteristic for depressed individuals.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Canada
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Nikolaus F. Troje