Dampening of positive affect as an emotional contrast avoidance strategy: An experimental test of the contrast avoidance model.

Dampening of positive affect is a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor for various mental health problems, yet the underlying mechanism driving this process remains unclear. The Contrast Avoidance Model (CAM) offers a potential explanation, proposing that individuals may intentionally downregulate positive emotions to prevent distressing negative emotional contrasts (NECs). The present preregistered experimental study examined the applicability of the CAM to dampening. In a randomized controlled design with an unselected community sample, participants first underwent a happiness induction and were then randomly assigned to either a 2-min dampening induction (n = 50) or a relaxation induction (n = 52) prior to a sadness induction, to test whether the dampening induction reduced the strength of a downward shift from high to low positive affect (i.e., NEC). Positive and negative affect were assessed before and after each induction. Multilevel analyses indicated that the negative emotional contrast from before versus after the sadness induction was less pronounced in the dampening condition compared to the relaxation condition. These findings provide initial experimental support for the applicability of the CAM to dampening as an emotional contrast avoidance strategy. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.