DIMENSIONS OF DYSFUNCTIONAL ATTITUDES AS VULNERABILITIES TO DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

Empirical tests of the diathesis-stress component of A. T. Beck's (197 6; A. T. Beck, A. J. Rush, B. F. Shaw, & G. Emery, 1979) cognitive the ory of depression have generally not yielded positive results. The res ulting focus on conceptual and methodological concerns has diverted at tention from the more fundamental issue of how validly vulnerability i s measured. The present investigation uses the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS; A. N. Weissman, 1979; A. N. Weissman & Beck, 1978), the mo st commonly used measure of vulnerability in this area, but adopts a m ore in-depth approach by examining DAS factors in addition to the typi cal total score. This study involved a sample of undergraduates who ha d never before taken a college-level examination. The dimension of the DAS measured by the Perfectionistic Achievement factor had the strong est relationship to increased depressive symptoms in response to poore r-than-expected performance on the examination. Implications for futur e research in this area are discussed.