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Self-defeating personality, self-reinforcement, and depression
Psychological Reports
|August 1, 1991
Summary
Men with higher self-defeating patterns used less self-reinforcement and experienced more depression. This finding supports theories linking self-defeating behaviors to depressive symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Personality Studies
Background:
- Self-defeating patterns are theorized to be linked with depression.
- Previous research by Beck suggested a connection between depression and self-defeating behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between self-defeating patterns, self-reinforcement, and depression.
- To provide construct validity for the Self-defeating Personality measure.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 51 men.
- Data was collected on self-defeating tendencies, frequency of self-reinforcement, and depression levels.
Main Results:
- Men exhibiting higher levels of self-defeating behavior reported lower frequency of self-reinforcement.
- A positive correlation was observed between self-defeating patterns and depression.
- The findings support Beck's early hypotheses.
Conclusions:
- The study provides empirical support for the association between self-defeating personality traits and depression.
- The results validate the use of the Self-defeating Personality measure in research.