"Some insights come before their time. Others simply await the right person to carry them forward." —Gregory L. Garamoni, Ph.D.
We are pleased to make available select scholarly works by Dr. Garamoni that have previously been not easy to access. These include original theoretical contributions, empirical studies, and invited presentations that continue to inform our clinical thinking and may provide a springboard for future researchers, students, and practitioners. This page is specifically designed for academics, researchers, students, and deeply interested clients to access and download Dr. Garamoni's original scholarly works.
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This section will expand over time as additional papers are digitized and organized. More downloadable articles and presentations will be added to this page soon.
Principles of information theory were used to model the relationship between psychopathology and the balance of positivity and negativity in information processing. This model is a reformulation of our earlier states of mind model (Schwartz & Garamoni, 1984, 1986, 1989). The original model incorporated the hypothesis (Benjafield & Adams-Webber, 1976) that people tend to balance their positive (P) and negative (N) cognitions at a proportion known as the golden section: P/(P+N) = (Square root of 5-1)/2 = .618. A re-analysis of data from 40 studies yielded findings consistent with this hypothesis, but alternative points in the vicinity of the golden section could not be rejected. A compelling explanation of the golden section's presumed significance actually specifies that a slightly higher point of balance (P/(P+N) = .632) is functionally optimal: Negative events are maximally salient at this point, and, presumably, the tendency to maintain this balance has evolved because noticing threatening events has survival value.
The reformulated model retains the negative strikingness hypothesis, but abandons the golden section hypothesis. The revised model is consequently more parsimonious and internally consistent than the original model. The implications of information theory are formally elucidated to explain the psychopathological significance of alternative states of mind. The structural, functional, and dynamic properties of different states of mind are systematically specified. The more differentiated hypothesis is advanced that specific states of mind are optimal for functioning under specific circumstances.
In a related study, psychometrically defined subsamples of euthymic (n = 176), depressed (n = 39), and hypomanic (n = 35) subjects were selected from a larger nonclinical sample (N = 372) of undergraduates. Subjects completed retrospective self-reports on positive and negative affects and depressive and hypomanic symptoms experienced during a prior one-week period. One-sample t-tests and 99% confidence intervals were used to test the precise hypotheses that euthymic states of mind are balanced within the theoretically optimal range (P/(P+N) = .632 +/- .066, depressed states of mind are below this range (P/(P+N) < .566), and hypomanic states of mind are above this range (P/(P+N) > .698). The results of these and secondary analyses were consistent with the hypotheses. Methodological, theoretical, and clinical implications are discussed.
Note from Dr. Garamoni: “This study was completed years ago, but it contains theoretical foundations and empirical findings that remain relevant today. The reformulated SOM model advances several novel ideas that have yet to be fully explored. Hoping that others may build on these concepts in the years to come, I'm now making this previously hard-to-find and quite voluminous (442 pages) work available for download here."
Download Full Dissertation (PDF, 442 pages)
The States of Mind (SOM) model provided a framework for assessing the balance between self-reported positive and negative affects in a sample of 39 outpatients with major depression and 43 healthy control subjects. The SOM model proposes that healthy functioning is characterized by an optimal balance of positive (P) and negative (N) cognitions or affects (P/(P + N) approximately 0.63), and that psychopathology is marked by deviations from the optimal balance. Research thus far has focused on the functional significance of cognitive rather than affective balance. Within this framework, we hypothesized that patients in untreated episodes of major depression would balance their positive and negative affects at the same level where depressed patients in other studies have balanced their positive and negative cognitions--namely, at P/(P + N) approximately 0.37. Point and confidence interval (CI) estimation procedures yielded results (mean = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.30 - 0.40) consistent with this hypothesis in a sample of 39 depressed male outpatients. Correlational analysis indicated that affect balance is inversely related to symptom severity as measured by self-report (Beck) and clinician-rating (Hamilton) scales.
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At Ponte Vedra Psychologists, we are a compassionate and experienced team led by Dr. Gregory Garamoni, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience. We serve individuals, couples, and families navigating emotional, relational, or psychological challenges—with care that emphasizes clinical excellence, transparency, and personal respect. Based in Ponte Vedra Beach, we also support clients from across Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville, Orange Park, Nocatee, Palm Valley, and St. Augustine.
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Our office is located at:
Ponte Vedra Psychologists
2304 Sawgrass Village Drive
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
(In Sawgrass Village Shopping Center, our office has a private exterior entrance on the 3rd floor of the professional office building, Park Place )
🧭 Get Directions on Google Maps
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