Running head: MENTAL SIMULATION IN DEPRESSION

The Mental Simulation of Motor Incapacity in Depression
Lisa M. Lindeman and Lyn Y. Abramson
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Abstract
In depression, negative beliefs are coupled with profound physical weakness. Specifically, the belief that one is incapable of altering events in order to prevent expected negative outcomes or bring about positive outcomes leads to bodily symptoms characterized by low energy, slow motor movement and delays in the initiation of movement. The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical model describing the causal mechanisms that link these cognitive and somatic elements of depression. We propose that 1) the inability to alter events is conceptualized metaphorically as motor incapacity, 2) as part of this conceptualization, the experience of motor incapacity is mentally simulated, and 3) this simulation leads to both subjective feelings of lethargy and peripheral physiological changes......

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Title: The Mental Simulation Of Motor Incapacity In Depression
Approximate Word Count: 13050
Approximate Pages: 53 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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