Self-verification in clinical depression: the desire for negative evaluation.
Do clinically depressed individuals seek favorable or unfavorable information about the self? Self-verification theory makes the counterintuitive prediction that depressed individuals solicit feedback that confirms their negative self-views. To test this prediction, participants were classified on the basis of a structured clinical interview and self-report measures into high-esteem, low self-esteem, and depressed groups. All participants were offered a choice between receiving favorable or unfavorable feedback; 82% of the depressed participants chose the unfavorable feedback, compared to 64% of the low self-esteem participants and 25% of the high self-esteem participants. Additional evidence indicated that depressed individuals also failed to exploit fully an opportunity to acquire favorable evaluations that were self-verifying. The authors discuss how seeking negative evaluations and failing to seek favorable evaluations may help maintain depression.
Giesler
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RB
Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. rgiesler@bcm.tmc.edu
Josephs
R A
RA
Swann
W B
WB
D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support