Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social, Achievement, and Control Dimensions of Personality-Life Event Vulnerability to Depression

  • Published:
Cognitive Therapy and Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This study investigated whether Sociotropy and the subscales of Autonomy (i.e., Perfectionistic/Self-critical, Need for Control, and Defensive Separation) would show differential patterns of vulnerability to dysphoria in both retrospective and prospective designs. Each of these scales showed a predicted pattern of association with life goals and impact ratings for negative events in a retrospective design. In a prospective design, the scales showed differential associations with goal obtainment and cognitive-affective responses to life events but did not predict follow-up dysphoria independently of baseline dysphoria. These results are discussed in terms of the multidimensionality of personality vulnerability and depressogenic negative life events along social, achievement, and control dimensions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The definitions of these life domains that followed were formulated giving close reference to Beck's (1983) original exposition of the sociotropic and autonomous personality dimensions so as to insure their theoretical relevance to these constructs. Specifically, the social life domain was defined as “Feeling close to and liked by others,” the achievement domain was defined as “Feelings of accomplishment and ability,” and the independence domain was defined as “Feeling independent and having the freedom to make your own decisions, without feeling constrained or interfered with by intrusive circumstances or others.”

REFERENCES

  • Abramson, L. Y., Alloy, L. B., & Hogan, M. E. (1997). Cognitive/personality subtypes of depression: Theories in search of disorders. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 21, 247–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alden, L. E., & Bieling, P. J. (1996). Interpersonal convergence of personality constructs in dynamic and cognitive models of depression. Journal of Research in Personality, 30, 60–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., Gilchrist, E. J., Rector, N. A., Dickens, S. E., Joffe, R. T., Levitt, A., Levitan, R. D., & Kennedy, S. H. (2001). The stability and validity of the sociotropy and autonomy personality dimensions as measured by the revised personal style inventory. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 25, 765–779.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., Parker, J. D. A., Joffe, R. T., Schuller, D., & Gilchrist, E. (1998). Confirmatory factor analysis of the revised personal style inventory. Assessment, 5, 31–43.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., & Rector, N. A. (1998). Self-criticism, dependency and the five factormodel of personality in depression: Assessing construct overlap. Personality & Individual Differences, 24, 895–897.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartelstone, J. H., & Trull, T. J. (1995). Personality, life events, and depression. Journal of Personality Assessment, 64, 279–294.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T. (1983). Cognitive therapy of depression: New perspectives. In P. J. Clayton & J. E. Barrett (Eds.), Treatment of depression: Old controversies and new approaches (pp. 265–290). New York: Raven Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. (1996). Beck depression inventory manual (2nd ed.). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bieling, P. J., Beck, A. T., & Brown, G. K. (2000). Structure and implications. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24, 763–780.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaney, P. H., & Kutcher, G. S. (1991). Measures of depressive dimensions: Are they interchangeable? Journal of Personality Assessment, 56, 502–512.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blatt, S. J., D’Afflitti, J. P., & Quinlan, D. M. (1976). Depressive experiences questionnaire. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broadhead, J. C., & Abas, M. E. (1998). Life events, difficulties and depression among women in an urban setting in Zimbabwe. Psychological Medicine, 28, 29–38.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Harris, T. O., & Hepworth, C. (1995). Loss, humiliation and entrapment among women developing depression: A patient and non-patient comparison. Psychological Medicine, 25, 7–21.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cane, D. B., Olinger, L. J., Gotlib, I. H., & Kuiper, N. A. (1986). Factor structure of the dysfunctional attitude Scale in a student population. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 42, 307–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cappeliez, P. (1993). The relationship between Beck's concepts of sociotropy and autonomy and the NEO-personality inventory. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 32, 78–80.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, D. A., Beck, A. T., & Brown, G. K. (1992). Sociotropy, autonomy, and life event perceptions in dysphoric and nondysphoric individuals. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 635–652.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, D. A., Steer, R. A., Haslan, N., Beck, A. T., & Brown, G. K. (1997). Personality vulnerability, diagnoses, and symptoms: Cluster analyses of the sociotropy-autonomy subscales. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 21, 267–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coyne, J. C., & Whiffen, V. E. (1995). Issues in personality as diathesis for depression: The case of sociotropy-dependency and autonomy-self-criticism. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 358–378.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dozois, D. J. A. (1995). Possible selves, sociotropic/autonomous personality, and self-complexity: Cognitive variables influencing illusion of control, depressive realism, and cognitive distortions. Unpublished master's thesis, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta.

  • Dozois, D. J. A., & Backs-Dermott, B. J. (2000). Sociotropic personality and information processing following imaginal priming: A test of the congruency hypothesis. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 32, 117–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dozois, D. J. A., Dobson, K. S., & Ahnberg, J. L. (1998). A psychometric evaluation of the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Psychological Assessment, 10, 83–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunkley, D. M., Blankstein, K. R., & Flett, G. L. (1997). Specific cognitive-personality vulnerability styles in depression and the five-factor model of personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 23, 1041–1053.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frewen, P. A., & Dozois, D. J. A. (in press). Self-worth appraisal of life events and Beck's congruency model of depression vulnerability. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

  • Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14, 449–468.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, P., & Reynolds, S. (1990). The relationship between the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and Beck's concepts of sociotropy and autonomy. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 29, 319–325.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Halamandaris, K. F., & Power, K. G. (1997). Individual differences, dysfunctional attitudes, and social support: A study of the psychosocial adjustment to university life of home students. Personality and Individual Differences, 22, 93–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 456–470.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kendler, K. S., Hettema, J. M., Butera, F., Gardner, C. O., & Prescott, C. A. (2003). Life event dimensions of loss, humiliation, entrapment, and danger in the prediction of onsets of major depression and generalized anxiety. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60, 789–796.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kohn, P. M., Lafreniere, K., & Gurevich, M. (1980). The inventory of college students’ recent life experiences: A decontaminated hassles scale for a special population. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 13, 619–630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwon, P., & Whisman, M. A. (1998). Sociotropy and autonomy as vulnerabilities to specific life events: Issues in life event categorization. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 22, 353–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lakey, B., & Ross, L. (1994). Dependency and self-criticism as moderators of interpersonal and achievement stress: The role of initial dysphoria. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 18, 581–599.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Little, S. A., & Garber, J. (2000). Interpersonal and achievement orientation and specific stressors predicting depressive and aggressive symptoms in children. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24, 651–670.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mazure, C. M., Raghavan, C., Maciejewski, P. K., Jacobs, S. C., & Bruce, M. L. (2001). Cognitive-personality characteristics as direct predictors of unipolar major depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 25, 215–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mongrain, M. (1993). Dependency and self-criticism located within the five-factor model of personality. Prsonality and Individual Differences, 15, 455–461.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neitzel, M. T., & Harris, M. J. (1990). Relationship of dependency and achievement/autonomy to depression. Clinical Psychology Review, 10, 279–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, D. R., Hammen, C., Daley, S. E., Burge, D., & Davila, J. (2001). Sociotropic and autonomous personality styles: Contributions to chronic life stress. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 25, 61–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunn, J. D., Mathews, A., & Trower, P. (1997). Selective processing of oncern-related information in depression. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 36, 489–503.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ouimette, P. C., Klein, D. N., Anderson, R., Riso, L. P., & Lizardi, H. (1994). Relationship of sociotropy/autonomy and dependency/self-criticism to DSM-III-R Personality Disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 743–749.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raghavan, C., Le, H., & Berenbaum, H. (2002). Predicting dysphoria and hostility using the diathesis-stress model of sociotropy and autonomy in a contextualized stress setting. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26, 231–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, C. & Block, P. (1988). Personal vulnerability, life event, and depressive symptoms: A test of a specific interactional model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 847–852.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, C., Hayes, A. M., Block, P., Kramer, R. J., & Villena, M. (1995). Interpersonal and achievement concerns and the depressive vulnerability and symptom specificity hypotheses: A prospective study. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 19, 1–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, C. J., Ladd, J., Welkowitz, J., Blaney, P. H., Diaz, R., & Kutcher, G. (1994). The personal style inventory: Preliminary validation studies of new measures of sociotropy and autonomy. Journal of Psychopathology & Behavioral Assessment, 16, 277–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rude, S. S., & Burnham, B. L. (1993). Do interpersonal and achievement vulnerabilities interact with congruent events to predict depression? Comparison of DEQ, SAS, DAS, and combined scales. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 17, 531–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shafran, R., & Mansell, W. (2001). Perfectionism and psychopathology: A review of research and treatment. Clinical Psychology Review, 21, 879–906.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sandler, I. N., & Lakey, B. (1982). Locus of control as a stress moderator: The role of control perceptions and social support. American Journal of Community Psychology, 10, 65–80.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santor, D. A. (2003). Proximal effects of dependency and self-criticism: Conceptual and methodological challenges for depressive vulnerability research. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 32, 49–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sato, T., & McCann, D. (1997). Vulnerability factors in depression: The facets of sociotropy and autonomy. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 16, 243–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, A., & Haaga, D. F. (1994). Positive and negative aspects of sociotropy and autonomy. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 16, 243–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Rooijen, L. (1986). Advanced students’ adaptation to college. Higher Education, 15, 197–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weissman, A. N., & Beck, A. T. (1978). Development and validation of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale: A preliminary investigation. Paper presented at the annual convention of the American Educational Association, Toronto.

  • Zuroff, D. C. (1994). Depressive personality styles and the five-factor model of personality. Journal of Personality Assessment, 63 453–472.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

During the preparation of this article, the first author was supported by a postgraduate scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and by an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. The second author wishes to acknowledge support from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada, N6G 5C2, USA

    Paul A. Frewen & David J. A. Dozois

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada, N6G 5C2, USA

    David J. A. Dozois

Authors
  1. Paul A. Frewen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David J. A. Dozois
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David J. A. Dozois.

Additional information

A version of this manuscript was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August, 2003.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frewen, P.A., Dozois, D.J. Social, Achievement, and Control Dimensions of Personality-Life Event Vulnerability to Depression. Cogn Ther Res 30, 1–17 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-006-9008-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-006-9008-y

KEY WORDS:

Search

Navigation