Inferential Style Research Articles

Childhood maltreatment and maltreatment-specific inferences: A test of Rose and Abramson's (1992) extension of the hopelessness theory

In extending the etiological chain of the hopelessness theory of depression (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989), Rose and Abramson (1992) proposed a developmental model by which childhood maltreatment may contribute to the development of a negative inferential style. Once developed, this negative inferential style leaves the individual vulnerable to developing hopelessness and symptoms of hopelessness depression. In the current cross‐sectional study, reports of childhood emotional, but not physical or sexual, maltreatment were significantly related to undergraduates' inferential styles. In addition, results from path analyses indicated that inferences about specific experiences of childhood emotional maltreatment mediated this relationship. Testing Rose and Abramson's entire model, results from path analyses supported a partial, but not full, mediation model.

The triangle of culture, inference, and litigation system

This paper considers the relationship among the inferential style characterizing a society, its litigation system, and other aspects of its culture. Differences between common law and Continental systems of litigation are associated with a stronger individualistic tendency in Anglo-American society than in Continental societies. William Twining’s model of the ‘rationalist’ tradition in Anglo-American adjudication and evidence scholarship, as modified by an overlay of individual rights, tracks important differences between the common law system, on the one hand, and Asian litigation systems, particularly East Asian systems, on the other, and between Western and Asian styles of thinking. The paper speculates that one reason the jury system has taken root in the Anglo-American system is that Anglo-American culture is more likely to generate among its people habits and customs of deliberation that will make them willing and effective jurors.

A Test of the Integration of the Hopelessness and Self-Esteem Theories of Depression in Schoolchildren.

This prospective study tested the diathesis-stress and symptom components of the integration of the hopelessness and self-esteem theories of depression in a sample of third- and seventh-grade children. The procedure involved an initial assessment of depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and depressogenic inferential styles about causes, consequences, and the self. The procedure also involved a follow-up assessment, 6 weeks later, in which depressive symptoms and the occurrence of negative events were assessed. In line with the integrative theory, depressogenic inferential styles interacted with negative events to predict increases in hopelessness but not nonhopelessness depression symptoms in boys with low but not high self-esteem. At the same time, contrary to the integrative theory, depressogenic inferential styles interacted with negative events to predict increases in hopelessness but not nonhopelessness depression symptoms in girls with high but not low self-esteem.

Cognitive Vulnerability to Hopelessness Depression: A Chain Is Only as Strong as Its Weakest Link

The hopelessness theory proposes that depressogenic inferential styles about the self, consequences, and causes serve as vulnerability factors to hopelessness depression. Previous research on the diathesis–stress component of the theory has examined each inferential style separately. Doing so, however, is likely to provide an inaccurate test of the theory because individuals who possess only one depressogenic inferential style but who show increases in symptoms following negative events will appear to support the theory in some analyses but to contradict the theory in others. The weakest link hypothesis posits that an individual is as vulnerable to hopelessness depression as her most depressogenic inferential style makes her. Therefore, according to this hypothesis, when testing the theory, researchers should determine each participant's degree of vulnerability using her most depressogenic inferential style. The goal of the current study was to test the diathesis–stress and symptom components of the hopelessness theory in seventh grade children using both the traditional and weakest link approaches. Seventy-nine children completed measures of depressogenic inferential styles and depressive symptoms (Time 1). Ten weeks later (Time 2), they completed measures of depressive symptoms and negative events. Neither depressogenic inferential styles about the self, consequences, nor causes interacted with negative events to predict increases in symptoms of hopelessness depression. In line with hypotheses, however, children's “weakest links” interacted with negative events to predict increases in hopelessness depression symptoms. In addition, in line with the symptom component of the theory, this interaction did not predict increases in nonhopelessness depression symptoms.

Depressive Mood Reactions to Failure in the Achievement Domain: A Test of the Integration of the Hopelessness and Self-Esteem Theories of Depression

This prospective study tested the diathesis-stress and causal mediation components of the integration of the hopelessness and self-esteem theories of depression. One hundred and thirty-six high school seniors applying early decision to the University of Pennsylvania completed measures of depressed mood, hopelessness, self-esteem, and depressogenic inferential styles 1–8 weeks before receiving their admissions decision (Time 1). The assessment of self-esteem and depressogenic inferential styles was preceded by a priming task designed to activate latent cognitive vulnerability factors. In addition, participants completed measures of mood and hopelessness shortly after they received their admissions decision (Time 2) and 4 days later (Time 3). In line with the diathesis-stress component of the theory, depressogenic inferential styles about consequences, causes, and the self for achievement events interacted with low self-esteem to predict enduring depressive mood reactions (Time 3) in negative outcome students. In addition, in partial support of the causal mediation component of the theory, in negative outcome students with low self-esteem, the relationship between depressogenic inferential styles and enduring depressive mood reactions was partially mediated by hopelessness.

Developmental Origins of Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression: Parenting, Cognitive, and Inferential Feedback Styles of the Parents of Individuals at High and Low Cognitive Risk for Depression

In this study, we examined the role of three social learning mechanisms in the development of undergraduates' depressogenic cognitive styles: modeling of parents' negative cognitive styles; negative inferential feedback from parents regarding the causes and consequences of stressful events in the child's life; and negative parenting practices. We obtained partial support for each of the three hypotheses. Compared to the parents of cognitively low-risk students, cognitively high-risk students' mothers exhibited more negative dysfunctional attitudes and inferential styles themselves; high-risk students' fathers showed less emotional acceptance and warmth; and high-risk students' mothers and fathers both communicated more stable, global attributional feedback and negative consequence feedback for stressful events in their children's lives. In addition, both parents' inferential feedback and fathers' emotional acceptance predicted their undergraduate children's likelihood of developing an episode of major or minor depression or the subtype of hopelessness depression during a 2.5-year prospective follow-up period, with some of these predictive associations mediated totally or in part by the students' cognitive vulnerability status.

The hopelessness theory of depression: a test of the diathesis-stress and causal mediation components in third and seventh grade children.

The goal of the current study was to test the diathesis-stress and causal mediation components of the hopelessness theory of depression in third- and seventh-grade children. The procedure involved an initial assessment of depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and the 3 cognitive styles posited as vulnerability factors by hopelessness theory. The procedure also involved a series of 6 weekly follow-up assessments in which depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and the occurrence of negative events were assessed. A depressogenic attributional style interacted with negative events to predict increases in depressive symptoms in seventh-grade children but not in third-grade children. A depressogenic inferential style about consequences interacted with negative events to predict increases in depressive symptoms in both third- and seventh-grade children. Last, a depressogenic inferential style about the self interacted with negative events to predict increases in depressive symptoms in third- and seventh-grade girls but not boys. None of these interactions were mediated by hopelessness.

An examination of congruency hypothesis in hopelessness theory of depression

A longitudinal study was conducted to test two hypotheses, congruency and hopelessness-mediation, in hopelessness theory of depression. Three cognitive diatheses (attributional style, and inferential styles for consequences as well as the self), symptoms of depression, and hopelessness were measured in a survey of 279 men and women. About three months later, symptoms and hopelessness were measured again, along with negative life events in the interim. Some support was obtained for congruency hypothesis. Women with depressogenic attributional style in interpersonal domain became depressed when they experienced negative events in the domain, while men with depressogenic attributional style in achievement domain similarly became depressed. However, no comparable effect was found for the other diatheses: inferential styles. Hopelessness-mediation hypothesis was partly supported in interpersonal domain.

CONCEPTUAL STYLE AND CONCEPTUAL ABILITY IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THE EIGHTH GRADE

WHITE, KATHLEEN M. Conceptual Style and Conceptual Ability in Kindergarten through the Eighth Grade. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1971, 42, 16521656. Grouping responses of children from kindergarten and grades 2, 4, 6, and 8 were analyzed for style and ability. Preference for the inferential style differentiated between kindergartners and older children, while occurrence of the ability variables increased more gradually with age. The data were interpreted as supporting the ability-style distinction.