The effects of training in concrete versus abstract thinking on imagery thinking, verbal thinking, despondency and metacognitions

Abstract

The current study compares the effects of a training in concrete thinking versus a training in abstract thinking on the degrees of imagery thinking, verbal thinking, despondency, positive metacognitions and negative metacognitions. Participants (n=41) aged 18 to 29 received instructions to think about 8 hypothetical situations in a concrete or abstract style of thinking in an online training format. The training in thinking style was preceded and followed by a short stress task. Manipulation checks revealed that the training of the particular thinking styles (abstract and concrete) was unsuccessful. Results showed a significant increase in verbal thought following the training in the abstract condition; however, no other significant effects were found. Current findings add to a large body of evidence stating that RNT, characterised by an abstract thinking style, is mainly expressed in verbal thought. A limitation of the current study is that the experimental training version was shortened, which limited effectivity in altering thinking style. Future research should focus on the examination of the long-term effects of a 7-day training in concrete thinking, preferably in a clinical sample.