How observers discriminate between dependent and self-critical women
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- This dissertation applied a novel method of analysis using aggregated written descriptions of naïve observers to compare dependent and self-critical women as they interacted with their boyfriends. The terms "dependent" and "self-critical" have been used to describe two personality styles that reflect two different types of vulnerability to depression, as measured by the DEQ. Theoretically, this difference is thought to arise developmentally from an overemphasis on relationships (for the dependent person) or from an overemphasis on protecting the self from potential criticisms (for the self-critical person). Past research has relied primarily upon self- and peer-reports to examine the differences between women with each type of vulnerability, and little attention has been given to differences between the two groups in their actual interpersonal interactions. According to interpersonal theorists, interpersonal interactions should be more informative than personality descriptors in differentiating between the two groups. Self-report measures already exist for identifying dependent and self-critical women, but behavioral differences between the two groups have not yet been demonstrated. My primary hypothesis was that observers' descriptions of actual behaviors (he did this to her; and she did that to him) would clearly reveal the difference in behavioral strategies used by the two types of women. Panels of naïve observers were asked to describe the behaviors they considered important, and their descriptions were aggregated across observers to identify the most commonly generated observations. My results clearly showed that the observer-reported behavioral sequences were superior to personality trait descriptions in discriminating between the two groups.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Zolotsev, Pavel V |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Psychology |
| Primary advisor | Horowitz, Leonard M |
| Thesis advisor | Horowitz, Leonard M |
| Thesis advisor | Gross, James J, (Professor of psychology) |
| Thesis advisor | Knutson, Brian |
| Advisor | Gross, James J, (Professor of psychology) |
| Advisor | Knutson, Brian |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Pavel Zolotsev. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Psychology. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2010. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2010 by Pavel V Zolotsev
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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