Abstract
Low perceived support is associated withemotional disturbance. Two important determinants ofsocial support judgments are perceptual biases of theperceivers and the Perceiver X Supporter interaction. Recent generalizability studies have found thatthe Perceiver X Supporter interaction is a much strongerinfluence on support judgments than the perceptualbiases of perceivers. However, these recent studies were based on normal samples. The presentresearch investigated whether perceptual biases insupport judgments would be stronger for clinicallydepressed inpatients. Patients and controls viewed fourvideotaped targets and rated targets' supportiveness.Compared to normal controls, depressed inpatients didnot show a negative perceptual bias that generalizedacross support providers. Consistent with normalsamples, however, the Perceiver X Supporter interactionwas more important, as patients and controls differed inwhom they saw as supportive. Controls saw supportershigh on agreeableness as more supportive, but did not rely on extraversion,conscientiousness, or openness in making supportjudgments. The support judgments of depressed patientswere harder to characterize. Implications forinterventions were discussed.
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Lakey, B., Drew, J.B. & Sirl, K. Clinical Depression and Perceptions of Supportive Others: A Generalizability Analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research 23, 511–533 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018772421589
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018772421589