The Hopelessness Theory of Depression: A Test of the Diathesis-Stress Component in the Interpersonal and Achievement Domains

By John R. Z. Abela, Martin E. P. Seligman. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2000

121 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Two prospective studies tested the diathesis-stress component of the hopelessness theory in the interpersonal and achievement domains. In Study 1, 149 high school seniors applying to the University of Pennsylvania completed measures of mood and three cognitive vulnerability factors (cognitive diatheses about self, consequences, and causes) 1–8 weeks before receiving their admissions decision (Time 1). They also completed measures of mood shortly after they received their admissions decision (Time 2), and 3 days later (Time 3). In Study 2, 77 college students rushing fraternities/sororities completed similar measures 1–8 weeks before rush (Time 1), shortly after they received their rush outcome (Time 2), and 3 days after receiving their rush outcome (Time 3). Consistent with the diathesis-stress component of the hopelessness theory, in both studies, all three vulnerability factors predicted increases in depressed mood immediately following a negative outcome (Time 2). None of these factors, however, predicted enduring depressed mood after a negative outcome (Time 3).

Subfields: Applied Psychology, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/6807e393f0cf9cafb520c8d6145572aa42d33678

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Applied Psychology

In Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Citations in the corpus

Academic Emotions in Students' Self-Regulated Learning and Achievement: A Program of Qualitative and Quantitative Research (2002, background): “Specifically, it has been shown that negative self-concepts and achievement-related expectancies, as well as a helpless attributional style, may be important for test anxiety and students’ hopelessness (Abela & Seligman, 2000; Hembree, 1988).”
Cognitive Vulnerability-Stress Theories of Depression: Examining Affective Specificity in the Prediction of Depression Versus Anxiety in Three Prospective Studies (2004, background): “…strategy to examine vulnerability-stress hypotheses is to use a prospective design that involves naturalistically occurring stressors (e.g., Abela & Seligman, 2001; Metalsky et al., 1987, 1993; Ralph & Mineka, 1998), in which the timing of the stressor and the development of emotional…”
Depressive Mood Reactions to Failure in the Achievement Domain: A Test of the Integration of the Hopelessness and Self-Esteem Theories of Depression (2002, methodology): “The goal of the present study was to provide a stringent test of both the diathesisstress and causal mediation components of the hopelessness theory using the university admissions outcome paradigm (e.g., Abela & Seligman, 2000).”
The role of religiousness in anxiety, depression, and happiness in a Jewish community sample: A preliminary investigation (2009, background): “Hopelessness involves the tendency to attribute events to negative global and stable causes (Abela & Seligman, 2000), which seems to stand in stark contrast with the belief that God is Omnibenevolent and Omnipotent (i.e., a positive, stable cause).”
Cognitive Vulnerability to Hopelessness Depression: A Chain Is Only as Strong as Its Weakest Link (2002, background): “... hopelessness theory of depression in child, adolescent, and adult samples has obtained similar results regardless of whether stressors were assessed using self-report questionnaires (e.g., Abela, 2001; Alloy et al., 1997; Alloy & Clements, 1998; Dixon & Ahrens, 1992; Hankin et al., 2001; Metalsk”