Skip to main content
Log in

Distressed Behavior and Its Context

  • Published:
The Behavior Analyst Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Behavior that is commonly labeled as indicating distress may have an important function in certain clinical problems. Evidence suggests that “distressed” behavior is displayed more frequently by persons who are depressed or experiencing chronic pain. Such behavior includes nonverbal facial expressions and body postures which are typically labeled as “sad,” and verbal responses involving self-denigration or complaints. Such behaviors appear to form a functional response class which has a unique impact on others. The behavior appears to be more likely among persons who are receiving aversive stimulation. Recipients of distressed behavior are more likely to experience negative emotion, yet be solicitous toward the person who displays distressed behavior. Under circumstances where distressed behavior is unsuccessful in reducing aversive stimulation, the behavior may be shaped and maintained by the fact that it temporarily reduces the probability of others behaving aggressively toward the person displaying distress. Thus, the development of a pattern of high rates of distressed behavior that characterizes clinically depressed persons and persons in chronic pain may be partly a result of the unique social contingencies that surround this behavior.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arthur, J. A., Hops, H., & Biglan, A. (1982). LIFE (Living in familial environments) coding system. Unpublished manuscript, Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azrin, N. H., Hutchinson, R. R., & Hake, D. F. (1966). Extinction-induced aggression. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 9, 191–200.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Beach, S. R. H., & Nelson, G. M. (1990). Pursuing research on major psychopathology from a contextual perspective: The example of depression and marital discord. In G. H. Brody & I. E. Sigel (Eds.), Family research: Vol. II (pp. 227–259). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beach, S. R. H., & O’Leary, K. D. (1986). The treatment of depression occurring in the context of marital discord. Behavior Therapy, 17, 43–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beach, S. R. H., Sandeen, E. E., & O’Leary, K. D. (1990). Depression in marriage: A model for etiology and treatment. New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Ward, C. H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J. E., & Erbaugh, J. K. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Biglan, A., & Dow, M. G. (1981). Toward a second-generation model: A problem-specific approach. In L. P. Rehm (Ed.), Behavior therapy for depression (pp. 97–121). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biglan, A., Glasgow, R. E., & Singer, G. (1990). The need for a science of larger social units: A contextual approach. Behavior Therapy, 21, 195–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biglan, A., Hops, H., & Sherman, L. (1988). Coercive family processes and maternal depression. In R. DeV. Peters & R. J. McMahon (Eds.), Marriages and families: Behavioral-systems approaches (pp. 72–103). New York: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biglan, A., Hops, H., Sherman, L., Friedman, L., Arthur, J., & Osteen, V. (1985). Problem-solving interactions of depressed women and their husbands. Behavior Therapy, 16, 431–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biglan, A., Lewin, L., & Hops, H. (1990). A contextual approach to the problem of aversive practices in families. In G. R. Patterson (Ed.), Depression and aggression in family interaction (pp. 103–129). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biglan, A., Rothlind, J., Hops, H., & Sherman, L. (1989). The impact of distressed and aggressive behavior. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98, 218–228.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Biglan, A., & Thorsen, C. (1986). Problem-solving interactions of women with chronic pain: The role of depression. Unpublished manuscript, Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birchler, G. R., Weiss, R. L., & Vincent, J. P. (1975). Multimethod analysis of social reinforcement exchange between maritally distressed and nondistressed spouse and stranger dyads. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31, 349–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blechman, E. A. (1981). Toward comprehensive behavioral family intervention: An algorithm for matching families and interventions. Behavior Modification, 5, 221–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boswell, P. C., & Murray, E. J. (1981). Depression, schizophrenia, and social attraction. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49, 641–647.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, J. H., & Weissman, M. M. (1982). The epidemiology of affective disorders: Depressive symptoms, nonbipolar depression, and bipolar disorder. In E. S. Paykely (Ed.), Handbook of affective disorders (pp. 109–125). New York: Churchill Livingstone.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coyne, J. C. (1976a). Depression and the response of others. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 85, 186–193.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coyne, J. C. (1976b). Toward an interactional description of depression. Psychiatry, 39, 28–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Craighead, W. E. (1980). Away from a unitary model of depression. Behavior Therapy, 11, 122–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dow, M. G., Glaser, S. R., & Biglan, A. (1981). The relevance of specific conversational behaviors to ratings of social skill: An experimental analysis. Journal of Behavioral Assessment, 3, 233–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dumas, J. E., & Gibson, J. A. (1989, November). Behavioral correlates of maternal depressive symptomatology in conduct-disorder children. II: Systemic effects involving fathers and siblings. Paper presented at conference of the Association of Advanced Behavior Therapy, Washington, D.C.

  • Dumas, J. E., Gibson, J. A., & Albin, J. B. (1989). Behavioral correlates of maternal depressive symptomatology in conduct-disorder children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 516–521.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dumas, J. E., & Wahler, R. G. (1983). Predictors of treatment outcome in parent training: Mother insularity and socio-economic disadvantage. Behavioral Assessment, 5, 301–313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekman, P. (1973). Cross-cultural studies of facial expression. In P. Ekman (Ed.), Darwin and facial expression: A century of research in review (pp. 169–222). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1984). Unmasking the face. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekman, P., Friesen, W. V., & Ellsworth, P. (1972). Emotion in the human face: Guidelines for research and an integration of findings. New York: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gotlib, I. G., & Beatty, M. E. (1985). The role of attributional style cognitive therapy and research. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 9, 91–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gotlib, I. G., & Robinson, L. A. (1982). Responses to depressed individuals: Discrepancies between self-report and observer-related behavior. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 91, 231–240.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gottman, J. M. (1979). Marital interaction: Experimental investigations. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammen, C. L., & Peters, S. D. (1977). Differential responses to male and female depressive reactions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 994–1001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hammen, C. L., & Peters, S. D. (1978). Interpersonal consequences of depression: Responses to men and women enacting a depressed role. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87, 322–332.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. C. (1987). A contextual approach to therapeutic change. In N. Jacobson (Ed.), Psychotherapists in clinical practice: Cognitive and behavior perspectives (pp. 327–387). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. C., & Brownstein, A. J. (1986). Mentalism, behavior-behavior relationships and a behavior-analytic view of the purposes of science. The Behavior Analyst, 9, 175–190.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hineline, P. N. (1977). Negative reinforcement and avoidance. In W. K. Honig & J. E. R. Staddon (Eds.), Handbook of operant behavior (pp. 364–414). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, D. A. (1983). Parents rate the family interaction coding system: Comparisons of the family interaction of problem and nonproblem boys with parent-derived composites of behavior. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Oregon.

  • Hokanson, J. E., Sacco, W. P., Blumberg, S. R., & Landrum, G. C. (1980). Interpersonal behavior of depressive individuals in a mixed-motive game. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 89, 320–332.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hops, H., Biglan, A., Sherman, L., Arthur, J., Friedman, L., & Osteen, V. (1987). Home observations of family interactions of depressed women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 341–346.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hops, H., Biglan, A., Tolman, A., Arthur, J., Holcomb, C., & Warner, P. (1988). LIFE (Living in familial environments) coding system. Unpublished manual, Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howes, M. J., & Hokanson, J. E. (1979). Conversational and social responses to depressive interpersonal behavior. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 88, 625–634.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobson, N. S., & Anderson, E. A. (1982). Interpersonal skill and depression in college students: An analysis of the timing of self-disclosures. Behavior Therapy, 13, 271–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Margolin, G., & Wampold, B. E. (1981). A sequential analysis of conflict and accord in distressed and nondistressed marital partners. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49, 554–567.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McKnight, D. L., Nelson, R. E., Hayes, S. C., & Jarrett, R. B. (1984). Importance of treating individually assessed response classes in the amelioration of depression. Behavior Therapy, 15, 315–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, G. M., & Beach, S. R. H. (1990). Sequential interaction in depression: Effects of depressive behavior on spousal aggression. Behavior Therapy, 21, 167–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Leary, K. D., & Beach, S. R. H. (1990). Marital therapy: A viable treatment for depression and marital discord. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 183–186.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, G. R. (1980). Mothers: The unacknowledged victims. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 45(5, Serial No. 186).

  • Schmaling, K. B., & Jacobson, N. S. (1990). Marital interaction and depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99, 229–236.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spanier, G. B. (1976). Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 798–806.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer, R. L., Endicott, J. E., & Robins, E. (1978). Research diagnostic criteria (RDC) for a selected group of functional disorders (3rd ed.). New York: New York State Psychiatric Institute, Biometrics Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strack, S., & Coyne, J. C. (1983). Social confirmation of dysphoria: Shared and private reactions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 798–806.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winer, D. L., Bonner, T. O., Blaney, P. H., & Murray, E. J. (1981). Depression and social attraction. Motivation and Emotion, 5, 153–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Youngren, M. A., & Lewinsohn, P. M. (1980). The functional relationship between depression and problematic interpersonal behavior. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 89, 333–341.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Biglan, A. Distressed Behavior and Its Context. BEHAV ANALYST 14, 157–169 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392566

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392566

Keywords

Navigation