Gender Differences in Depressive Symptomatology and Egocentrism in Adolescence

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in the relationship between depressive symptomatology and the imaginary audience and personal fable constructs in order to determine the manner in which these indexes of social cognitive development interrelate with depressive symptomatology during the adolescent age period. Sixty-one adolescents, ranging in age from 12 to 17 years, completed the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS), the Elkind Imaginary Audience Scale (IAS), and the Lapsley New Personal Fable Scale (NPFS). Results indicated that adolescent females scored significantly higher than adolescent males on the Uniqueness subscale of the NPFS and the Transient Self subscale of the IAS. The IAS was positively related to depressive symptomatology for adolescent females but not for adolescent males. The NPFS was negatively related to depressive symptomatology for both adolescent males and adolescent females. Different patterns emerged for males and females regarding the interrelationships between NPFS subscales and depressive symptomatology. Findings are discussed with respect to recent research on depression during adolescence and Lapsley and Rice's (1988) "new look" at the imaginary audience and personal fable constructs. Suggestions for future research are put forth