Running Head: BAS-relevant cognitive styles and bipolar disorder Behavioral Approach System (BAS) – Relevant Cognitive Styles and Bipolar Spectrum Disorders: Concurrent and Prospective Associations

ey Words: Bipolar Spectrum Disorder, Behavioral Approach System (BAS), Cognitive Styles e associa relevant and non-BAS-relevant cognitive styles with bipolar spectrum disorders. Controlling for depressive and hypomanic/manic symptoms, 195 individuals with bipolar spectrum disorders sco higher than 194 demographically matched normal controls on BAS sensitivity and BAS-relevant cogni dimensions of performance concerns, autonomy, and self-criticism, but not on BIS sensitivity and nonBAS-relevant dimensions of approval-seeking, sociotropy, and dependency. Moreover, group differenc on autonomy fully mediated the association between higher BAS sensitivity and bipolar status. In addition, only BAS-related cognitive dimensions predicted the likelihood of onset of depressive and hypomanic/manic episodes among the bipolar individuals over a 3.2-year follow-up, controlling for in symptoms and past history of mood episodes. Higher autonomy and self-criticism predicted a greater likelihood of hypomanic/manic episodes and higher autonomy predicted a lower likelihood of major depressive episodes. In addition, autonomy mediated the associations between BAS sensitivity and prospective hypomanic/manic episodes. These findings suggest that individuals with bipolar spectrum disorders may exhibit a unique profile of BAS-relevant cognitive styles that influence the course of their mood episodes.