Sex differences in depression and the method of administering the Beck Depression Inventory

Carried out four experiments in which male and female undergraduates (N = 384) completed the Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI ) under conditions ranging from absolute anonymity to a face-to-face interview. BDI interitem reliability was comparable across the two sexes and across different methods of test administration, and no evidence was found in any of the experiments or in all four combined that depression is more severe or common in females. We also found that for both sexes responses to the BDI did not vary with the sex of the examiner. It is suggested that sex differences in depression have more to do with the population sampled than with the method of administering tests such as the BDI . Indeed, responses to the BDI appear essentially unaffected by the method of administration.