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Background <p>Negative interpretive biases (NIBs)—the tendency to interpret ambiguous situations negatively—are well-documented risk factors for emotional disorders. While prior research has focused on clinical or adult populations, little is known about how NIBs develop and generalize in&#xa0;non-clinical adolescents, a critical period for cognitive and emotional vulnerability. This study examines whether negative interpretive biases (NIBs) in specific contexts (academic, family, and peer) predict the development of self-referential negative interpretations over time. Clarifying this potential pathway may help identify early cognitive mechanisms of vulnerability and inform targeted prevention efforts during adolescence.</p> Methods <p>Using a longitudinal design, 1005 adolescents (52.3% female; aged 12–16 at baseline) completed the adapted&#xa0;<i>Word Sentence Association Paradigm</i>&#xa0;across three waves (6-month intervals). Cross-lagged panel models tested directional effects between&#xa0;academic, family, peer, and self-based NIBs.</p> Results <p>Cross-lagged panel models showed that context-based NIBs significantly predicted subsequent self-based NIBs, while the reverse pathway was not significant. Among the three contexts, academic NIBs showed the most robust predictive effect over time.</p> Conclusions <p>The findings suggest that negative interpretive biases in social contexts may generalize to the self among non-clinical adolescents, providing empirical support for targeting context-specific biases in adolescent cognitive bias modification.</p>

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From Context to Self: Longitudinal Overgeneralization of Negative Interpretive Biases in Adolescents

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月20日

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  • Yining Wang,
  • Youran Zhang,
  • Zewei Li,
  • Jiaxuan Zhao,
  • Yanwei Wang,
  • Yanjie Su

摘要

Background

Negative interpretive biases (NIBs)—the tendency to interpret ambiguous situations negatively—are well-documented risk factors for emotional disorders. While prior research has focused on clinical or adult populations, little is known about how NIBs develop and generalize in non-clinical adolescents, a critical period for cognitive and emotional vulnerability. This study examines whether negative interpretive biases (NIBs) in specific contexts (academic, family, and peer) predict the development of self-referential negative interpretations over time. Clarifying this potential pathway may help identify early cognitive mechanisms of vulnerability and inform targeted prevention efforts during adolescence.

Methods

Using a longitudinal design, 1005 adolescents (52.3% female; aged 12–16 at baseline) completed the adapted Word Sentence Association Paradigm across three waves (6-month intervals). Cross-lagged panel models tested directional effects between academic, family, peer, and self-based NIBs.

Results

Cross-lagged panel models showed that context-based NIBs significantly predicted subsequent self-based NIBs, while the reverse pathway was not significant. Among the three contexts, academic NIBs showed the most robust predictive effect over time.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that negative interpretive biases in social contexts may generalize to the self among non-clinical adolescents, providing empirical support for targeting context-specific biases in adolescent cognitive bias modification.