Is Pessimism Adaptive? Moderators of the relationship between Optimistic / Pessimistic Bias and Depressive Symptoms

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2007-06

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The Ohio State University

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Consistent with the cognitive model of depression, previous research has found that depressive symptoms are related to less optimistic / more pessimistic bias in predicting future life events. This study aimed to expand the current model of depression by examining possible moderators of the relationship between bias in judgment tasks and depressive symptoms. Participants were asked to complete two measures of bias: one assessed optimistic / pessimistic bias in predictions of future life events and the second task assessed optimistic / pessimistic bias in predictions of ratings provided by a friend or significant other. Contrary to expectation, the relationship between depressive symptoms and both measures of bias were not significant in this sample. Nonetheless, being of Asian descent was found to act as a moderator of the relationship between depressive symptoms and the bias in life event predictions. A small number of Asian respondents precluded a powerful test of this effect for the prediction of another’s ratings. Additional evidence for moderation of the relationship between optimistic / pessimistic bias and depressive symptoms was obtained for reflectivity (as assessed by the Defensive Pessimism Questionnaire). Optimistic / pessimistic bias were related as predicted by the cognitive model of depression for those low in reflectivity, but this relationship was less evident among participants high in reflectivity. These findings suggest that the relationship between depressive symptoms and bias differ as a function of being Asian and that the utilization of reflectivity in defensive pessimism. Implications for the cognitive model of depression are discussed.

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Depression, Pessimism

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