LE3 .A278 1998

1998

Genest, Myles

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Psychology

Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine whether sociotropy, a self-schema that predisposes individuals to put a good deal of emphasis on interpersonal relationships, would impart an influence on participants' ratings on a vignette exercise, while they were in either a positive or negative mood. The vignette rating task required the participants to read a series of short stories that featured characters who underwent stressful interpersonal and achievement oriented events, and to rate, on a 7-point Likert scale, how depressed they believed that those characters would feel. Thirty-six Acadia University students underwent either a positive or negative mood induction, and then completed the vignette rating task. One week later they returned, underwent the opposite mood induction of the previous one, and again completed the task. It was found that mood had the greatest effect on participants' ratings of the vignettes. Sociotropy imparted an influence on the participants' ratings, but only when they were in a negative mood. These and other findings are discussed and related to the major cognitive theories of depression.

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