Depressive Realism and Nondepressive Optimistic Illusions: The Role of the Self

摘要: Clinicians and laypeople alike have known for a long time that people think negatively when they are depressed. Indeed, overly pessimistic thinking is typically viewed as hallmark feature of depression. From the perspective major cognitive theories depression (e.g., Abramson, Alloy, & Metalsky; 1988, this volume; Metalsky 1988b; c; Hartlage, 1988; Beck, 1967; 1976; Rush, Shaw Emery, 1979), such negative not only core symptom depression, but cause disorder well. While it well depressives’ perceptions in content, more unique aspect Beck’s model hypothesizes depressed individuals’ inferences about themselves their experiences unrealistically negative, extreme, distorted. In contrast, normal, nondepressed information processing hypothesized to be realistic free from biases (but see 1986, recent revision his views on nondepression).