Depression, self-esteem, and the absence of self-protective attributional biases.
Previous research has demonstrated a relation between depression and attributional style. In the present study we evaluated the extent to which self-esteem may be an important determinant of attributional style. Subjects completed measures of self-esteem, depression, and anxiety and responded to the Attributional Style Questionnaire. Maximum R2 analyses revealed that for significant one-variable and multivariable regression models, self-esteem accounted for the variation in attributional style on the majority of outcome measures. Depression and anxiety added little beyond the contribution of self-esteem. These findings were consistent for both positive and negative events. In addition, self-esteem accounted for variation in attributional evenhandedness. Results are discussed in terms of the role of self-esteem maintenance in attributional style.
D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept