Qualitative analysis of the cognitive triad in a sample of the general population in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a profound mental health challenge worldwide. The goal of this paper is to explore cognitive responses to the pandemic in order to better understand underlying beliefs for those reporting and not reporting symptoms of depression within the context of a period of realistic health, economic and social threat. This paper described a cross-sectional survey carried out with a convenience sample from the general population between December 2020 and February 2021. As part of that survey, adult respondents (n=555) were asked to fill in open text box questions which provided prompts of the Cognitive Triad: “I am…/I am not…”; “Others people are…/Other people are not…”; “The world is…”. These qualitative data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Thematic responses between people who screened above and below the cut-off for moderate depressive symptoms showed noticeable overlap, especially in terms of negative cognitions. The largest distinct difference in cognitions was the lack of positively framed cognitions across the cognitive triad in those screening above the cut-off for moderate depressive symptoms. These data highlight the importance of developing a positive cognitive framework to the pandemic, indicating that approaches such as Positive Psychology or Compassion-Focused Therapy which emphasise positive emotions, empathy, and gratitude may be particularly helpful.

POSITIVE COGNITIVE TRIAD AND COVID-19 FEARS: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease has produced both physical and mental health crisis at an unprecedented level forcing the global community to take actions to deal with the pandemic. Various mental health issues have cropped up in people since the spread of the highly contagious disease. The present empirical study examined the role of the positive cognitive triad in coping with mental health problems, especially the fears of the pandemic. Using а cross-sectional research design, data were collected from the 240 participants in a northern state in India at the time when the positive cases were increasing. Regression analysis showed significant variation explained by positive cognitive triad on the outcome variable, i.e. positive cognitive triad reduces the perception of fears of the COVID-19 disease. The study revealed that the positive cognitive triad might be used as one of the coping strategies with the fears and anxiety of the disease. Regression analysis further revealed that two dimensions of the positive cognitive triad i.e. positive cognition of the self and positive cognition of the future, had a significantly negative influence on the fears of the disease. Thus, people who have positive cognition of the self and the future are less likely to experience fear of the novel COVID-19 diseases.

Are negative views of the self, world and future, mediators of the relationship between subjective social status and depressive symptoms?

Background: Elevated depressive symptoms are associated with impairments, reduced quality of life, and societal economic burden. A well-established stress-vulnerability model explaining depressive symptoms is Beck’s cognitive theory (Beck, 1976). An independent line of research demonstrated that a person’s perception of their status in comparison with others’ (subjective social status, SSS) is a stressor associated with depressive symptoms. Aims: Theory-driven research investigating the interplay of different factors associated with depressive symptoms opens the door to improve the lives of the affected individuals and to reduce the overall societal burden. This study’s aim was to examine if SSS can be integrated as a stressor into Beck’s theory, looking specifically at whether it impacts depressive symptoms through the individual components (self, world and future) of the cognitive triad. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 243 community college students (58.6% female; mean age 23.95 years) in the southern United States completed self-reports measuring SSS, negative views of the self, world and future, and depressive symptoms. Results: SSS is negatively associated with each view of the cognitive triad. SSS and views of the self and world are negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Mediation analyses displayed a significant direct effect between SSS and depressive symptoms, as well as two indirect effects via negative view of self and world. Conclusions: While further research is needed, therapists might benefit from our findings when tailoring their treatment to a client by considering their SSS and which negative view is particularly detrimental for this specific client.

Quantum Cognitive Triad: Semantic Geometry of Context Representation

The paper describes an algorithm for semantic representation of behavioral contexts relative to a dichotomic decision alternative. The contexts are represented as quantum qubit states in two-dimensional Hilbert space visualized as points on the Bloch sphere. The azimuthal coordinate of this sphere functions as a one-dimensional semantic space in which the contexts are accommodated according to their subjective relevance to the considered uncertainty. The contexts are processed in triples defined by knowledge of a subject about a binary situational factor. The obtained triads of context representations function as stable cognitive structure at the same time allowing a subject to model probabilistically-variative behavior. The developed algorithm illustrates an approach for quantitative subjectively-semantic modeling of behavior based on conceptual and mathematical apparatus of quantum theory.

Quantum Cognitive Triad. Semantic Geometry of Context Representation

The paper describes an algorithm for cognitive representation of triples of related behavioral contexts two of which correspond to mutually exclusive states of some binary situational factor while uncertainty of this factor is the third context. The contexts are mapped to vector states in the two-dimensional quantum Hilbert space describing a dichotomic decision alternative in relation to which the contexts are subjectively recognized. The obtained triad of quantum cognitive representations functions as a minimal carrier of semantic relations between the contexts, which are quantified by phase relations between the corresponding quantum representation states. The described quantum model of subjective semantics supports interpretable vector calculus which is geometrically visualized in the Bloch sphere view of quantum cognitive states.