The role of attributional style, dysfunctional attitudes, and negative life events on depression in college students

Two major cognitive theories, Beck\u27s cognitive theory (1967) and Seligman\u27s reformulated learned helplessness theory (1978), have dominated depression research over the last fifteen years. Both of these theories propose a diathesis-stress model in which significant life events are imparted by specific cognitive styles; This study incorporated the major tenets of both theories to examine the role of dysfunctional attitudes, attributional style, and negative life events on Beck Depression Inventory scores in college students. It was hypothesized that the latter two components would interact with negative life events to predict initial and future depression scores; Ninety-eight introductory psychology students completed a series of questionnaires at four separate time periods. Trends were obtained for both attributional style and dysfunctional attitudes to interact with negative events to predict initial depression scores. Significant interactions were obtained in all three prospective time periods. The findings of this investigation lend support to both Beck\u27s cognitive theory and Seligman\u27s reformulated learned helplessness theory