Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Feedback-seeking and depression in survivors of domestic violence
Suzanne L Pineles1, Susan Mineka, Richard E Zinbarg
1National Center for PTSD, Women's Health Sciences Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts 02130, USA. Suzanne.Pineles@va.gov
Background:
Not surprisingly, women in violent relationships often experience symptoms of depression. Although most people desire praise and positive feedback, individuals who are depressed often seek either negative or "even-handed" self-relevant information. The relative lack of positive feedback-seeking exhibited by depressed individuals may have implications for understanding the difficulty that survivors of domestic violence have leaving and remaining apart from abusive partners.
Methods:
This study was designed to assess the relative preference for self-relevant information in two groups of women: women who experienced domestic violence (DV group) and women who did not have these experiences (no-DV group).
Results And Conclusions:
The DV group (n=30), relative to the no-DV group (n=28), desired less positive (or relatively more negative) feedback. Further, depression mediated the relationship between DV and seeking less positive feedback. Motivational and cognitive explanations for this pattern of results are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
Coping Strategies: Emotion Focused
Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Depression: Overview
Coping Strategies: Problem Focused
For example, consider a student who struggles to understand their...
