En Route to Depression: Self-Esteem Discrepancies and Habitual Rumination

Title
En Route to Depression: Self-Esteem Discrepancies and Habitual Rumination
Publication Date
2016
Author(s)
Phillips, Wendy J
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5063-5758
Email: wphilli4@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:wphilli4
Hine, Donald W
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3905-7026
Email: dhine@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:dhine
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1111/jopy.12141
UNE publication id
une:18786
Abstract
Dual-process models of cognitive vulnerability to depression suggest that some individuals possess discrepant implicit and explicit self-views, such as high explicit and low implicit self-esteem (fragile self-esteem) or low explicit and high implicit self-esteem (damaged self-esteem). This study investigated whether individuals with discrepant self-esteem may employ depressive rumination in an effort to reduce discrepancy-related dissonance, and whether the relationship between self-esteem discrepancy and future depressive symptoms varies as a function of rumination tendencies. Hierarchical regressions examined whether self-esteem discrepancy was associated with rumination in an Australian undergraduate sample at Time 1 ('N' = 306; M'age' = 29.9), and whether rumination tendencies moderated the relationship between self-esteem discrepancy and depressive symptoms assessed 3 months later ('n' = 160). Damaged self-esteem was associated with rumination at Time 1. As hypothesized, rumination moderated the relationship between self-esteem discrepancy and depressive symptoms at Time 2, where fragile self-esteem and high rumination tendencies at Time 1 predicted the highest levels of subsequent dysphoria. Results are consistent with dual-process propositions that (a) explicit self-regulation strategies may be triggered when explicit and implicit self-beliefs are incongruent, and (b) rumination may increase the likelihood of depression by expending cognitive resources and/or amplifying negative implicit biases.
Link
Citation
Journal of Personality, 84(1), p. 79-90
ISSN
1467-6494
0022-3506
Start page
79
End page
90

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