The accuracy of dysphoric and nondepressed groups' predictions of life events

The phenomenon of depressive realism was examined in relation to the future prediction of positive and negative life events. A group of dysphoric (n = 20) and nondepressed (n = 38) British undergraduates participated in a pro spective study lasting 3 months. Partly consistent with the depressive real ism hypotheses, dysphoric participants were more realistic concerning the n egative life events they would experience, but they were less realistic con cerning the negative life events they would not experience. Although no dif ference was found for predicting the occurrence of positive life events, dy sphoric participants were found to be more realistic concerning positive li fe events that they would not experience.