Depressive symptoms and bias in perceived social competence among young adults.
We examined associations between depressive symptoms and young adults' self-perceptions of social competence to explore whether higher symptoms are associated with self-evaluations that are more accurate (i.e., depressive realism), negatively biased (i.e., cognitive distortion), or less accurate (i.e., self-verification perspective). In 133 young adults, depressive symptoms and discrepancies between self- and peer ratings of social competence were assessed. Results demonstrated a linear relationship between depressive symptoms and self-peer discrepancies, such that higher symptoms were associated with underestimation of the self and low symptom levels were linked with overestimation of the self relative to peer evaluations. These findings suggest negative bias in dysphorics' self-perceptions, supporting cognitive distortion models, as well as positive bias in self-perceptions of those with low depressive symptoms.
Whitton
Sarah W
SW
Judge Baker Children's Center, Harvard Medical School, USA. swhitton@.bu.edu
Larson
Justine J
JJ
Hauser
Stuart T
ST
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010379:Peer Group; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires