Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 28, 2026
05:42
The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior
Published on: March 2, 2015
Self-verification in clinical depression: the desire for negative evaluation
R B Giesler1, R A Josephs, W B Swann
1Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. rgiesler@bcm.tmc.edu
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
|August 1, 1996
Summary
Clinically depressed individuals often seek unfavorable information about themselves, confirming negative self-views. This self-verification tendency may contribute to maintaining depression.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Self-verification theory posits individuals seek confirmation of their self-views.
- Depression is often associated with negative self-perceptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether clinically depressed individuals seek favorable or unfavorable self-information.
- To test the self-verification theory's prediction in depressed populations.
Main Methods:
- Participants were categorized into high-esteem, low self-esteem, and depressed groups using clinical interviews and self-report measures.
- Participants were offered a choice between receiving favorable or unfavorable feedback.
- Behavioral choices regarding feedback acquisition were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A significant majority (82%) of depressed participants chose unfavorable feedback.
- Depressed individuals were less likely than low-esteem and high-esteem groups to choose favorable feedback.
- Depressed individuals did not fully utilize opportunities to obtain favorable, self-verifying evaluations.
Conclusions:
- Depressed individuals actively seek negative self-evaluations, aligning with self-verification theory.
- The tendency to seek negative feedback and avoid positive feedback may play a role in the maintenance of depressive symptoms.
- Findings highlight a potential cognitive mechanism contributing to the chronicity of depression.
Related Concept Videos
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
01:30Social Foundations of Self III: Self-Evaluation
Self-evaluation is the process by which individuals assess their abilities, behaviors, and characteristics based on feedback from others. Charles H. Cooley observed that a person’s self-perception is primarily influenced by how others see and judge them. He suggested that individuals form their identities based on their interpretations of others' reactions. As a result, social interactions play a crucial role in shaping self-esteem and personal identity. These external evaluations often blend...
01:29Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...
01:17Strategies of Self-Presentation II: Self-Verification
Self-verification is a fundamental psychological drive wherein individuals seek affirmation of their self-concept from others, striving for consistency between their internal self-view and external perceptions. This drive operates even when the self-concept is negative, influencing interpersonal behavior and feedback preferences in complex and often counterintuitive ways. Unlike the self-enhancement motive, which seeks positive evaluations, self-verification prioritizes coherence and...
01:29Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects
Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...