THINK ALOUD STATEMENTS AND SOLUTIONS OF DYSPHORIC PERSONS ON A SOCIALPROBLEM-SOLVING TASK

The purpose of the present study was to examine the self-statements of dysphoric (n = 13) and nondysphoric subjects (n = 15) during an inter personal problem-solving task. After completing the Problem Solving In ventory (PSI; Heppner & Petersen, 1982), subjects were individually sh own a brief videotape depicting an interpersonal problem and asked to solve the problem while thinking aloud. Frequencies of five self-state ment categories were recorded: task-facilitating task-inhibiting emoti on-focused, problem-focused and periods of silence. Although the dysph oric subjects rated themselves more negatively on the PSI with regard to their problem-solving abilities, they were actually able to generat e as many, and as effective, solutions as the nondysphoric subjects. D uring problem solving, however, the dysphoric subjects used fewer prob lem-focused statements and more emotion-focused statements. The freque ncies of task-inhibiting and emotion-focused self-statements correlate d negatively with the socially validated score of solution effectivene ss.