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The interactional theory of depression posited by Coyne (1976b) suggests that depressed persons elicit negative reactions from others which result in the depressed person feeling rejected and potentially even more depressed. A potential qualification to Coyne's model was examined. Social psychology research has found that those who are similar are more likely to affiliate. It was, therefore, hypothesized that affectively heterogeneous roommate pairs would experience negative mood induction and rejection, as predicted by Coyne's model, while homogeneously depressed roommates would not experience these interactional difficulties. Results suggest that affect similarity did not mediate negative mood induction and rejection effects. In addition, Coyne's model was not supported. / Department of Psychological Science

This work examined four issues, in relation to both the experience of depression, and vulnerability to depression. There were four empirical studies, each with two parts. The first study examined the role of cognitions, such as overgeneralizations (Beck, 1963; Beck et al, 1979), and causal attributions (Abramson et al, 1978; Alloy et al, 1988). Their role as symptoms of depression, and as possible vulnerability factors, independent of current mood, was examined. In the first part of the study, clinically depressed patients, recovered subjects, and community control subjects were interviewed and given questionnaires. In the second part of the study a larger sample of students, some of whom became mildly depressed on beginning university filled in questionnaires at the start of term and again five weeks later. The same subject groups were the basis for the study on social factors, and the study on life events. The fourth study was also in two parts. A different sample of students were the subjects for the first part, and the same clinical and control groups participated in the second part. Factors found to be associated with the state of depression were: Internal, stable and global attributions for the causes of bad events, negative view of future outcomes, and negative view of self; social skill deficits and lack of social support; recent difficult life events. One factor failed to show any strong association with the depressed state – unrealistic goals. Factors associated with vulnerability to depression: Negative evaluations of future outcomes, and of self, unrealistic goals and, surprisingly, lower-than-normal goals; deficits in social skill (especially low self-confidence in social settings) and lack of social support; history-of difficult life events. Factors which failed to show association with vulnerability to depression: Causal-attributions for events; adverse reaction to depression itself. Deficits in social skill were associated with lack of social support. Depression proneness itself appeared to be a risk factor for negative life events.

vi, 508 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychiatry, 1974

Cognitive theory of depression predicts that the illness is associated with an information processing bias that interprets ambiguous information in a mood-congruent or depressive fashion. This negative interpretative bias may serve as a vulnerability factor or maintenance mechanism for a depressive illness. The majority of studies investigating such interpretative biases rely primarily on subjective experimental methodologies (eg., evaluative feedback and self-report) that are vulnerable to experimenter demand effects, response selection biases, and the influence of autobiographical memories. In addition, the results from these studies have been mixed, leading to no firm evidence for the existence of a depression-linked interpretative bias for ambiguous material. In order to avoid the limitations that have plagued subjective research, the present study utilised two of the most promising objective physiological measures of assessing interpretation: the Rapid Serial Viewing Presentation (RSVP) procedure and the affective modulation of the human eye blink reflex. The modified RSVP experiment recorded the reaction time of participants reading a textual scenario that was composed of an opening ambiguous sentence and various emotionally valenced continuations. Interpretation of the ambiguous sentence could be inferred from the reaction time as comprehension latency is inversely related to perceived plausibility. The affective modulation experiment recorded the blink amplitudes of participants startled while performing an imagery task. Blink amplitudes are augmented by negative stimuli and inhibited by hedonic stimuli. Thus, the affective interpretation of ambiguous stimuli could be inferred from the size of the recorded blink response. The results of both experiments did not support the predictions made by cognitive theory. There was no difference in the reaction time responses to the various textual stimuli between 2 depressed outpatients and healthy controls. However, antidepressant medication did have an influence upon the ability of patients to correctly judge the plausibility of the emotionally valenced continuation sentences. With regard to the eye blink experiment, there was also no difference between the depressed outpatients and the controls in terms of size of blink amplitude to the various categories of affective stimuli. Depressive, ambiguous, and distorted stimuli did not augment blink amplitudes in healthy controls or depressed patients without social anxiety disorder. However, depressed patients with a comorbid diagnosis of social anxiety disorder did react to the ambiguous stimuli in an aversive and anxious manner as indicated by increased blink amplitudes. This may be due to the social aspect of the experimental context, which engenders fears of evaluation and performance anxiety. The eye blink procedure can therefore be compromised by group selection, as the comorbidity of anxiety and depression can confound the investigation of depression-linked interpretative biases. In addition, the failure of depressive stimuli to augment blink amplitudes may render the procedure insensitive to the selection of such biases

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-58). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR19630

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wyoming, 2005. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Nov. 2, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 46-54).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1987. / Bibliography: leaves 87-105.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007 / Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-71).