COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR DEPRESSION: DEPRESSIVE VS. NONDEPRESSIVE BIAS THEORIES (SELF-EVALUATION).

摘要

Cognitive explanations for depression have traditionally been based on the assumption of negative bias in the perspectives of depressed people. In contrast, recent research has found evidence for the presence of positive bias on the part of nondepressed people and a realistic orientation in depressed people. This study was designed to test both hypotheses by looking for bias in self-evaluation, with predictions made as to what would be necessary to support either or both explanations. One hundred and twenty nondepressed, mildly depressed, and depressed employees of a VA Medical Center participated in a slide task. Their self-evaluation was measured through predictions of performance, self-reinforcement, and follow-up estimates of accuracy. Differences between self-evaluation measures and actual performance were used to look for evidence of bias. Results did not show evidence for negative bias in self-evaluation on the part of depressed subjects nor a positive bias in self-evaluation of nondepressed subjects. Mildly depressed subjects were found to underestimate themselves in making predictions about their performance on the task. An examination of results of a post-task attribution questionnaire revealed that nondepressed subjects made more internal attributions and felt more satisfaction about their performance than depressed subjects. Mildly depressed subjects made more external attributions about performance. Results were discussed with respect to implications for the cognitive bias explanations of depression and the significance of the finding of bias on the part of the mildly depressed subjects.