Two independent raters (psychology researchers), blind

to BDI-II scores, classified each of the 24 descriptions for each participant (N = 984 descriptions) into one of three categories: negative, neutral/unclear or positive. Inter-rater reliability between the first and the second judge was good (91%) ( Barker et al. 1996). A third rater MK-2206 cell line assessed cases of disagreement (N = 88). The majority answer was chosen. When all three raters disagreed, the scenario’s valence was considered unclear (N = 6). For each participant, a sum score of each of the negative, positive and neutral/unclear categories was computed separately. As predicted, there was a significant negative correlation between depressed mood (BDI-II) see more and subjective pleasantness ratings, r(40) = −.56, p < .001. Further, compared to the low dysphoric group, the high dysphoric group rated their scenarios as less pleasant t(31) = 4.29, p = <.001, d = 1.6 (see Table 2). The mean number

of descriptions in each valence category is shown in Table 2. Example resolutions for the item “It’s New Year’s Eve. You think about the year ahead of you” are: “It will be hard work, like this year, which I don’t look forward to” (negative valence); and “I’m excited and happy” (positive valence). BDI-II scores were significantly correlated with the number of scenarios the independent judges rated as positive, r(41) = −.63, p < .001, as well as with the number of scenarios rated as negative, r(41) = .53, p < .001, but not with the scenarios rated as neutral/unclear, r(41) = .17, p = 0.29. The high dysphoric group’s scenarios were judged significantly more often as negative, t(31) = 3.29, p = .002, d = 1.24,, than those of the low dysphoric group, and significantly less often as positive, t(31) = 3.77, p = .001, d = 1.43, with no significant difference for the neutral category, t(31) = 0.77, p = .45. The subjective pleasantness ratings were significantly correlated

with the objective ratings for the negative category, r(41) = −.60, p < 0.001, the positive category, r(41) = .70, p < 0.001, but not the neutral category r(41) = −.09, p = 0.59. Vildagliptin Participants’ subjective AST-D ratings during fMRI scanning replicated findings from Study 1: depressed mood was associated with lower pleasantness ratings indicative of a more negative interpretation bias. Importantly, subjective and objective ratings showed good correspondence. Compared to those of low dysphorics, the descriptions of resolved ambiguous scenarios made by high dysphorics of resolved ambiguous scenarios were judged to be more often negative in content. This is consistent with the AST-D indexing a negative bias in interpretation rather than simply anhedonia. Our objective was a readily useable measure of interpretation bias relevant to dysphoria: the 24-item AST-D.