The Japanese Journal of Psychology 2000, Vol. 71, No. 3, 197-204 An examination of congruency hypothesis in hopelessness theory of depression Mieko Takahira (Research fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Runkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610) A longitudinal study was conducted to test two hypotheses, congruency and hopelessness-mediation, in hopeless ness theory of depression. Three cognitive diatheses (attributional style, and inferential styles for consequences as well as the self), symptoms of depression, and hopelessness were measured in a survey of 279 men and women. About three months later, symptoms and hopelessness were measured again, along with negative life events in the interim. Some support was obtained for congruency hypothesis. Women with depressogenic attributional style in interpersonal domain became depressed when they experienced negative events in the domain, while men with depressogenic attributional style in achievement domain similarly became depressed. However, no comparable effect was found for the other diatheses: inferential styles. Hopelessness mediation hypothesis was partly supported in interpersonal domain. Key words: congruency hypothesis, diathesis-stress model, attributional style, hopelessness, depression.
Table 1 Women's BDI change scores, regressed on attributional style, negative events, and their interaction in interpersonal domain, with BDI scores at Time I as covariate, **p<.01, *p<,05. Figure 1. Residual changes in BDI scores from Time 1 to Time 2, as a function of attributional style and negative life events, for women in interpersonal domain.
Table 2 Men's BDI change scores, regressed on attributional style, negative events, and their interaction in achievement domain, with BDI scores at Time 1 as covariate. **p<.01. Figure 2. Residual changes in BDI scores from Time 1 to Time 2, as a function of attributional style and negative life events, for men in achievement domain.
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