Reassurance-Seeking in Depression: Implicit and Explicit Processes
Date Issued
2016
Date
2016
Author(s)
Li, Chia-Tzu
Abstract
Excessive reassurance seeking (ERS) was deemed as the core concept of Coyne’s interpersonal theory of depression. Past research indicated that ERS is related to the development and maintenance of depression, and the present study further proposed that the attitude toward positive assurance (inlcluding sincerity and sufficiency) may very likely play an important role in the link between ERS and depression. According to past researches, ERS was separated into 2 concepts, i.e., reassurance seeking behavior (RSB) and reassurance seeking outcome (RSO).In this thesis, we designed two studies to investigate: (a) the differences of interpersonal processes among groups with different degree of depression; (b) the association between attitudes toward positive assurance provided by close others (including sincerity and sufficiency) and ERS; (c) explicit attitude, implicit attitude (using Single-Target IAT as measure), and discrepancies between two attitudes of related variables including attitudes toward close others’ positive assurance , acceptance by close others, and self-esteem; and (d) the applicability of results from nonclinical samples to clinical samples. In Study 1, 107 participants recruited from college were separated into healthy control group (n = 46), dysphoric group (n = 30), and subclinical depressive group (n = 31). Results showed that the positive associations of depression with RSB and RSO were both significant only in the healthy control group, but not significant in the other two groups. For explicit attitude, there were negative associations between depression and explicit variables. Individuals with worse RSO had lower self-esteem, experienced less accepted by others, and felt less sincere and less sufficient about others’ assurance. Path analysis showed that individuals with low self-esteem would have increased RSB and then deteriorated RSO, and others’ assurances were deemed less sincere. As a consequence, these individuals thought that they were less accepted by others. Finally, assurances provided by others were deemed less sufficient. Altogether led to subsequent depressive symptoms. For implicit attitude, subclinical depressive group with high implicit self-esteem or high implicit attitude about sufficient assurance had more RSB. With regard to discrepancies between implicit and explicit attitudes, there were positive associations with depression. Specifically, there existed positive associations among discrepant attitudes (high implicit attitudes combined with low explicit attitudes) about sufficient assurance, RSB and RSO. Furthermore, this discrepant attitude about sufficient assurance was mediated by RSB to affect RSO. In study 2, data from 15 clinical patients with depressive disorders were analyzed. Results showed that RSB had little association with negative interpersonal outcome, whereas RSB had greater associations with higher explicit acceptance as well as more authentic and sufficient assurance provided by others. These results were different from study 1. Finally, we discuss the possible implications of our findings, address limitations, and provide some suggestions for future research.
Subjects
depression
interpersonal model
reassurance seeking
implicit attitude
explicit attitude
Type
thesis
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