Abstract
This study investigates Beck's cognitive diathesis—stress model of depression by comparing dysphoric and nondysphoric subjects on the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (SAS) and a self-report life event measure specially developed to assess subjects' perceptions of sociotropic and autonomous life events. Despite reporting similar frequencies for both types of events, the dysphoric subjects rated their negative life experiences as significantly more upsetting, and perceived that the events involved more loss within the interpersonal and achievement domains than the nondysphoric control group. As predicted by the cognitive diathesis—stress model, sociotropy significantly interacted with negative social but not autonomously related life events in the prediction of dysphoria. Dysphoria was also associated with ratings of increased loss of social resources due to negative interpersonal events, and ratings of increased loss of personal goal attainment due to negative achievement events. Autonomy, however, failed to show any significant relation with dysphoria or type of life event experienced.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnett, P. A., & Gotlib, I. H. (1988a). Psychosocial functioning and depression: Distinguishing among antecedents, concomitants and consequences.Psychological Bulletin, 104 97–126.
Barnett, P. A., & Gotlib, I. H. (1988b).Personality and depression: New scales and a model of relationships. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the Canadian Psychological Association, Montreal, Quebec.
Beck, A. T. (1983). Cognitive therapy of depression. In P. J. Clayton & J. E. Barrett (Eds.),Treatment of depression: Old controversies and new approaches (pp. 265–290). New York: Raven Press.
Beck, A. T. (1987). Cognitive models of depression.Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 1 2–27.
Beck, A. T., Epstein, N., Harrison, R. P., & Emery, G. (1983).Development of the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale: A measure of personality factors in psychopathology. Unpublished manuscript, Center for Cognitive Therapy, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia.
Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979).Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press.
Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. A. (1987).Manual for the Revised Beck Depression Inventory. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Garbin, M. G. (1988). Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory: Twenty-five years of evaluation.Clinical Psychology Review, 8 77–100.
Blaney, P. H., & Kutcher, G. S. (1991). Measures of depressive dimensions: Are they interchangeable?Journal of Personality Assessment, 56 502–512.
Brown, J. D., & Siegel, J. M. (1988). Attributions for negative life events and depression: The role of perceived control.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54 316–322.
Bumberry, W., Oliver, J. M., & McClure, J. N. (1978). Validation of the Beck Depression Inventory in a university population using psychiatric estimate as the criterion.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46 150–155.
Clark, D. A., & Beck, A. T. (1989). Cognitive theory and therapy of anxiety and depression. In P. C. Kendall & D. Watson (Eds.),Anxiety and depression: Distinctive and overlapping features (pp. 379–411). San Diego: Academic Press.
Clark, D. A., & Beck, A. T. (1991). Personality factors in dysphoria: A psychometric refinement of Beck's Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale.Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 13 369–388.
Dohrenwend, B. S., Krasnoff, L., Askensay, A. R., & Dohrenwend, B. P. (1978). Exemplification of a method for scaling life events: The PERI Life Events Scale.Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 19 205–229.
Gong-Guy, E., & Hammen, C. (1980). Causal perceptions of stressful events in depressed and nondepressed outpatients.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 89 662–669.
Green, S. A. (1991). How many subjects does it take to do a regression analysis?Multivariate Behavioral Research, 26 499–510.
Hammen, C. L., & Cochran, S. D. (1981). Cognitive correlates of life stress and depression in college students.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 90 23–27.
Hammen, C. L., Ellicott, A., & Gitlin, M. (1989). Vulnerability to specific life events and prediction of course of disorder in unipolar depressed patients.Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 21 377–388.
Hammen, C. L., Ellicott, A., Gitlin, M., & Jamison, K. R. (1989). Sociotropy/Autonomy and vulnerability to specific life events in patients with unipolar depression and bipolar disorders.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98 154–160.
Hammen, C. L., Marks, T., Mayol, A., & deMayo, R. (1985). Depressive self-schemas, life stress, and vulnerability to depression.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 94 308–319.
Hatzenbuehler, L. C., Parpal, M., & Matthews, L. (1983). Classifying college students as depressed and nondepressed using the Beck Depression Inventory: An empirical analysis.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51 360–366.
Holmes, T. H., & Rahe, R. H. (1967). The Social Readjustment Rating Scale.Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11 213–218.
Kendall, P. C., Hollon, S. D., Beck, A. T., Hammen, C. L., & Ingram, R. E. (1987). Issues and recommendations regarding use of the Beck Depression Inventory.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 11 289–299.
Mongrain, M., & Zuroff, D. C. (1989). Cognitive vulnerability to depressed affect in dependent and self-critical college women.Journal of Personality Disorders, 3 240–251.
Monroe, S. M. (1982). Assessment of life events: Retrospective vs. concurrent strategies.Archives of General Psychiatry, 39 606–610.
Monroe, S. M., & Depue, R. A. (1991). Life stress and depression. In J. Becker & A. Kleinman (Eds.),Psychosocial aspects of depression (pp. 101–130). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Moos, R. H. (1991). Life stressors, social resources, and the treatment of depression. In J. Becker & A. Kleinman (Eds.),Psychosocial aspects of depression (pp. 187–214). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Nietzel, M. T., & Harris, M. J. (1990). Relationship of dependency and achievement/autonomy to depression.Clinical Psychology Review, 10 279–297.
Oliver, J. M., & Simmons, M. E. (1984). Depression as measured by the DSM-III and the Beck Depression Inventory in an unselected adult population.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52 892–898.
Reynolds, S., & Gilbert, P. (1991). Psychological impact of unemployment: Interactive effects of vulnerability and protective factors on depression.Journal of Counselling Psychology, 38 76–84.
Robins, C. J. (1985).Construct validation of the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale: A measure of vulnerability to depression. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston.
Robins, C. J. (1990). Congruence of personality and life events in depression.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99 393–397.
Robins, C. J., & Block, P. (1988). Personal vulnerability, life events, and depressive symptoms: A test of a specific interactional model.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54 847–852.
Robins, C. J., & Block, P. (1989). Cognitive theories of depression viewed from a diathesis-stress perspective: Evaluations of the models of Beck and of Abramson, Seligman, and Teasdale.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 13 297–313.
Robins, C. J., Block, P., & Peselow, E. D. (1990a). Endogenous and non-endogenous depressions: Relations of life events, dysfunctional attitudes and event perceptions.British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 29 201–207.
Robins, C. J., Block, P., & Peselow, E. D. (1990b). Cognition and life events in major depression: A test of the mediation and interaction hypotheses.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14 299–313.
Sarason, I. G., Johnson, J. H., & Siegel, J. M. (1978). Assessing the impact of life changes: Development of the Life Experiences Inventory.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46 932–946.
Segal, Z. V., Shaw, B. F., & Vella, D. D. (1989). Life stress and depression: A test of the congruency hypothesis for life event content and depressive subtype.Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 21 389–400.
Segal, Z. V., Shaw, B. F., Vella, D. D., & Katz, R. (1992). Cognitive and life stress predictors of relapse in remitted unipolar depressed patients: A test of the congruency hypothesis.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101 26–36.
Stevens, J. (1986).Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Carey, G. (1988). Positive and negative affectivity and their relation to anxiety and depressive disorders.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97 346–353.
Watson, D., & Kendall, P. C. (1989). Common and differentiating features of anxiety and depression: Current findings and future directions. In P. C. Kendall & D. Watson (Eds.),Anxiety and depression: Distinctive and overlapping features (pp. 493–508). San Diego: Academic Press.
Zuroff, D. C., & Mongrain, M. (1987). Dependency and self-criticism: Vulnerability factors for depressive affective states.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 96 14–22
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
We are grateful to Bonnie Stewart and James Poling for their assistance in the item development and independent ratings of the Negative Experiences Inventory, and to Barry Spinner for statistical advice. Also we acknowledge the assistance of Kathleen McKim-Dawes and Alice Pitre with the data collection. This research was supported by University of New Brunswick Research Grant #21–22 awarded to the first author.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clark, D.A., Beck, A.T. & Brown, G.K. Sociotropy, Autonomy, and life event perceptions in dysphoric and nondysphoric individuals. Cogn Ther Res 16, 635–652 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01175404
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01175404