Beck's cognitive theory of depression asserts that active, depressogenic schemas produce a thinking pattern characterized by negative thoughts concerning the self, the world, and the future. Factor II of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ-30) is assumed to be consistent with two (views of self and future) of the three components of this negative cognitive triad. It was hypothesized that nondepressed subjects exhibiting a high frequency of automatic negative thoughts according to their scores on Factor II would be more sensitive to Velten's Mood Induction Procedure (VMIP) than subjects exhibiting a low frequency of such thoughts. The results indicated that high ATQ-30 Factor II scores predicted significantly more depression on the Depression Adjective Checklist (DACL) and lower psychomotor speed as measured on the Digit Symbol Test. High ATQ-30 Factor II scores had no effect on the Minnesota Clerical Test and the Arithmetic Problems. The results support the view that a high frequency of automatic negative thoughts toward the self and the future in nondepressed subjects may indicate a vulnerability to depression at the moment of testing.