Citation

Kingstone JC, Endler NS. Can. J. Behav. Sci. 1997; 29(1): 44-53.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Canadian Psychological Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1037/0008-400X.29.1.44

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

J. C. Coyne's (1976) model of depression maintains that depression worsens through specific interpersonal interactions. To examine certain descriptive and causal features of this model, the videotaped, 20-min, problem-solving communications of 20 depressed target/significant other dyads and 20 matched, control dyads were coded by 2 clinically trained observers. Compared to control dyads, depressed-target dyads expressed less supportiveness and greater defensiveness. The amounts of supportive and defensive communications exchanged between partners in the depressed-target dyads did not differ; also found between partners were significant, positive correlations in supportive and defensive communications. The hypothesized aversiveness of a nonreciprocal amount of support by depressed targets toward their significant others was not found, nor was ambiguity, hypothesized as the depressed individual's conflict between normative levels of support and those actually exchanged. Thus the study did not support aversiveness or ambiguity as unique, interpersonal causal aspects of Coyne's model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Keywords

Interpersonal Communication; Interpersonal Interaction; Major Depression; Significant Others