| In a test of Beck's theory of depression, clinically depressed (n = 45) and nondepressed (n = 37) groups were compared on: the Cognitive Bias Questionnaire (CBQ), the Cognitive Errors Test (CET), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Critical Thinking Appraisal-Form A (CTA-A), and the Self-Report Symptom Inventory-Revised (SCL-90-R). It was predicted that depression would be related significantly to the CBQ and CET, but not to the CTA-A. It was further predicted that depressive distortion would be related more strongly to measures of depression than to measures of other psychological symptoms.;The results of the study confirmed the hypothesis that depressive distortion is associated positively with depression. Contrary to expectation, depression was related significantly to general cognitive functioning. Also contrary to expectation, depressive distortion related as strongly to several other psychological symptoms as to depression. The findings were interpreted as providing some support for Beck's theory. |
