title: Link of dysfunctional attitudes with the negative self-model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Beck's cognitive theory postulates that dysfunctional attitudes predisposing to depression are formed by early negative experiences. Meanwhile, Bowlby's attachment theory contends that distorted working models built through insecure attachment relationships lead to various psychopathologies such as depression. The present study examined the correlations of dysfunctional attitudes about achievement, dependency, and self-control with working models of the self and other, and tried to promote understanding of those dysfunctional attitudes from an attachment perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 591 Japanese healthy volunteers. Dysfunctional attitudes about achievement, dependency, and self-control were evaluated by the corresponding subscales of the 24-item Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, and working models of the self and other were assessed by the relationship scales questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores of the achievement (β = -0.26, P < 0.001), dependency (β = -0.41, P < 0.001), and self-control (β = -0.14, P < 0.01) subscales had negative correlations with the self-model score, suggesting the connections of all clusters of dysfunctional attitudes with the negative self-model. The score of the dependency subscale (β = 0.21, P < 0.001) had a positive correlation with the other-model score, suggesting the connection of this cluster of dysfunctional attitudes with the positive other-model. Meanwhile, the scores of the achievement (β = -0.17, P < 0.001) and self-control (β = -0.13, P < 0.01) subscales had negative correlations with the other-model score, suggesting the connections of these clusters of dysfunctional attitudes with the negative other-model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that dysfunctional attitudes as a whole are linked with the negative self-model built through negative attachment experiences, while the content specificity of each cluster is related to the differential correlations with the other-model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iidanishi, Yamagata, 990-9585 Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iidanishi, Yamagata, 990-9585 Japan.
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iidanishi, Yamagata, 990-9585 Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iidanishi, Yamagata, 990-9585 Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Enokido
keywords: Achievement/dependency/self-control; DAS-24; Dysfunctional attitude; RSQ; Self-model/other-model