Sociotropy, Autonomy, and Depressive Response to an Unconscious Challenge

Important, but not unequivocal, support has been found for Sociotropy and Autonomy as vulnerability factors for depression. Using a novel approach we gave subliminal sociotropy-related and autonomy-related visuoverbal stimulation to nondepressed students (Study 1, N=36), and patients treated for clinical depression (Study 2, N=34) in completely balanced within-groups designs. Autonomy, as measured with the Personal Style Inventory, was unrelated...