Cognitive vulnerability to depression: a taxometric analysis.
Although there is increasing support for the hypothesis that negative cognitive styles contribute vulnerability to depression, it remains unclear how best to conceptualize the heterogeneity in cognitive vulnerability to depression. Specifically, does this heterogeneity reflect quantitative or qualitative differences among individuals? The goal of this study was to address this question by examining whether the underlying structure of cognitive vulnerability to depression is best conceptualized as dimensional or categorical. Taxometric analyses provided consistent support for the dimensional nature of negative cognitive styles. It appears, therefore, that cognitive vulnerability to depression is best conceptualized as a dimensional construct, present to a greater or lesser extent in all individuals. Despite this, the strength of the relationship between negative cognitive styles and depressive symptoms does appear to vary as a function of where along the cognitive style continuum one falls.
Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, US. bgibb@binghamton.edu
Brandon E
BE
Gibb
Lauren B
LB
Alloy
Lyn Y
LY
Abramson
Christopher G
CG
Beevers
Ivan W
IW
Miller
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011599:Psychopathology / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires