Clinical depression and perceptions of supportive others: A generalizability analysis

Low perceived support is associated with emotional disturbance. Two importa nt determinants of social support judgments are perceptual biases of the pe rceivers and the Perceiver x Supporter interaction. Recent generalizability studies have found that the Perceiver x Supporter interaction is a much st ronger influence on support judgments than the perceptual biases of perceiv ers. However, these recent studies were based on normal samples. The presen t research investigated whether perceptual biases in support judgments woul d be stronger for clinically depressed inpatients. Patients and controls vi ewed four videotaped targets and rated targets' supportiveness. Compared to normal controls, depressed inpatients did not show a negative perceptual b ias that generalized across support providers. consistent with normal sampl es, however, the Perceiver x Supporter interaction was more important, as p atients and controls differed in whom they saw as supportive. Controls saw supporters high on agreeableness as more supportive, but did not rely on ex traversion, conscientiousness, or openness in making support judgments. The support judgments of depressed patients were harder to characterize. Impli cations for interventions were discussed.