Year
2016
Season
Spring
Paper Type
Master's Thesis
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree Name
Master of Arts in General Psychology (MAGP)
Department
Psychology
NACO controlled Corporate Body
University of North Florida. Department of Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Tracy Alloway
Second Advisor
Dr. Jennifer Wolff
Third Advisor
Dr. Lori Lange
Department Chair
Dr. Lori Lang
College Dean
Dr. Barbara A. Hetrick
Abstract
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by multiple symptoms such as psychomotor retardation, sleep disturbances, and cognitive deficits in decision making. The current study explores the relationships between cognitive variables and depressive symptomology and seeks to determine what predictive relationships exist between these constructs and if items from these constructs can accurately classify depressed persons. A normal sample of N = 116 participants were administered the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) as well as the Adult Hope Scale (ADH; Snyder et al., 1991), the Index of Autonomous Functioning(IAF; Weinstein, Przybylski, & Ryan, 2012), the Life Orientation Test-Revised(LOT-R; Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory(ZTPI; Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999), the Rumination Reflection Questionnaire(RRQ; Trapnell & Campbell, 1999), and the Automated Working Memory Assessment-II (AWMA; Alloway, 2012b). A stepwise linear regression analysis determined that the Pessimism and Optimism subscales of the LOT-R, the Present Fatalism subscale of the ZTPI, and the Hope Agency subscale of the AHS significantly predicted depression in participants. One item each from the Optimism and Pessimism subscales, two items from the Present Fatalism subscale, and one item from the Hope Agency subscale accurately classified between 67-82% of the depressed (n = 42) and non-depressed (n = 64) persons in the sample. The implications of these findings for therapy and cognitive approaches to understanding depression as well as the relationships between the predictor variables themselves are discussed.
Suggested Citation
Horton, John C., "Thinking About How You Feel: The Relationship between Cognitive Variables in the Context of Depressive Symptoms" (2016). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 630.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/630