Abstract
An important methodological issue in depressionanalog research is whether individuals who scoreextremely low on self-report measures like the BeckDepression Inventory (BDI) should be included innondepressed control groups. Joiner, Schmidt, and Metalsky(1994) found that college students with BDI scores of 0or 1 evidenced a fake-good test taking style as measuredby the MMPI validity scales. The present study investigated whether very low BDI scores (BDI= 0 or 1; n = 21) might be associated with an elevatedpositive mood state, extreme optimism, positiveattributional style or social desirability. Resultsindicated that the very low scoring BDI subjects scoredhigher on social desirability than the low scoring group(BDI = 2 9, n = 63). Significant differences on mood,symptom and cognitive measures disappeared when social desirability was entered as a covariate.Findings support Kendall, Hollon, Beck, Hammen, andIngram's (1987) recommendation that subjects who score0 or 1 on the BDI should be excluded from a nondepressed control group.
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Clark, D.A., Crewdson, N. & Purdon, C. No Worries, No Cares: An Investigation into Self-Reported "Nondistress" in College Students. Cognitive Therapy and Research 22, 209–224 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018788608443
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018788608443