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Social skill and depression: A test of cognitive and behavioral hypotheses
Author(s) -
Grabow Roy W.,
Burkhart Barry R.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(198601)42:1<21::aid-jclp2270420103>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - psychology , cognition , depression (economics) , social cognition , social perception , test (biology) , cognitive bias , perception , social skills , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , paleontology , neuroscience , biology , economics , macroeconomics
Abstract Depression often is characterized by a subjective sense of social inadequacy. Behavioral theories explain this as an accurate perception of a social skills deficit. Cognitive theories explain the experience as the result of a negatively biased self‐appraisal, although social skills may be adequate. In order to test these two alternative explanations, 10 depressed and 16 nondepressed female undergraduate students participated in a social interaction task. Performance ratings made by self and others were compared. The depressed subjects did not exhibit either a social skills deficit or a negative bias in their self‐evaluation of social skill. However, there were other indications of a negative bias among the depressed subjects. The results do not provide differential support for either cognitive or behavioral theories of depression, but have implications for both.