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Perception of social functioning in dysphoria

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Abstract

This study examined diverse aspects of social functioning relevant to depressives' interpersonal difficulties, including the realism of perceptions of social competency. Sixteen dysphoric clients, 25 dysphoric students, and 25 nondepressed students evaluated their social distress and avoidance, and self-efficacy expectations prior to an interaction task with confederates. Following the interaction, subjects rated their social competency and were rated by their partners and external observers, who also assessed subjects' specific behavioral skills. Dysphorics relative to nondepressives reported significantly greater social distress and avoidance, as well as lower social performance expectancies, which were negatively correlated. However, neither self-, partner, nor observer ratings discriminated between the groups' social performance or specific verbal and nonverbal skills. Moreover, dysphoric students' self-evaluations were in accord with observers' ratings, whereas clients and nondepressed students overestimated their social competency. All subjects' self-ratings were in agreement with the perceptions of their interactive partners. Results are discussed in relation to previous research, and support the potential role of negative expectancies and situational determinants in accounting for dysphoric/depressive social functioning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecole de psychologie, Université Laval, G1K 7P4, Quebec, Quebec, Canada

    Julie Ducharme & Alexandra Bachelor

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  1. Julie Ducharme
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  2. Alexandra Bachelor
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This article is based on a Master's thesis submitted by the first author to the Ecole de psychologie, Université Laval, under the direction of the second author. The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of research assistants N. Dutil, M. Guimond, L. Nadeau, and M. Renaud.

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Ducharme, J., Bachelor, A. Perception of social functioning in dysphoria. Cogn Ther Res 17, 53–70 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01172740

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