Differences in Self-Monitoring of Expressive Behavior in Depressed and Nondepressed Individuals

Abstract

Recent research has indicated an association between depression and lack of social skill. The present investigation sought to extend these findings to the self-monitoring of expressive behavior by administering Snyder's (1974) Self-monitoring Scale and Beck's (1967) Depression Inventory to samples from two very different populations, community-residing women volunteers and psychiatric patients. It was predicted that nondepressed subjects would tend to be high in self-monitoring their expressive behavior, while depressed subjects would tend to monitor their expressive behavior less. Data from both samples supported this hypothesis and were discussed as evidence for the validity of the self-monitoring scale.

The association of ‘self-monitoring’ with depression in help-seeking Facebook users

“…The findings linking low self-monitoring (operationalised in different ways) to depression are in line with those from other relevant cross-sectional studies (Gonnerman et al, 2000; Hofmann, 2006; Rahaim et al, 1980; Snyder, 1974), and this cumulative evidence has noteworthy theoretical implications. First, it adds credibility to the idea that an unwillingness or inability to utilise the social skills inherent in self-monitoring leaves low self-monitors more susceptible to depression than high self-monitors (Rahaim et al, 1980).…”

“…The findings linking low self-monitoring (operationalised in different ways) to depression are in line with those from other relevant cross-sectional studies (Gonnerman et al, 2000; Hofmann, 2006; Rahaim et al, 1980; Snyder, 1974), and this cumulative evidence has noteworthy theoretical implications. First, it adds credibility to the idea that an unwillingness or inability to utilise the social skills inherent in self-monitoring leaves low self-monitors more susceptible to depression than high self-monitors (Rahaim et al, 1980). Second, it supports the notion that depressed individuals often lack the requisite motivation to engage in self-monitoring, perhaps owing to regularly experienced negative affect or held worldviews akin to ‘depressive realism’ (Alloy and Abramson, 1979; Rahaim et al, 1980).…”

“…Theoretically, an inverse association here is plausible: self-monitoring involves important social skills such as responding to cues (Gangestad & Snyder, 2000) and poor social skills are linked with depression (Segrin, 2000). Therefore, due to an unwillingness or inability to deploy the social skills of self-monitoring, low self-monitors may be more susceptible to depression than high self-monitors (Rahaim, Waid, Kennelly, & Stricklin, 1980). Depressed individuals may also lack the requisite motivation to engage in self-monitoring: it has been postulated that their social behaviour is mostly affected by internal dispositions, affective states and cognitive distortions, rather than external stimulus cues (Rahaim et al, 1980).…”

“…Therefore, due to an unwillingness or inability to deploy the social skills of self-monitoring, low self-monitors may be more susceptible to depression than high self-monitors (Rahaim, Waid, Kennelly, & Stricklin, 1980). Depressed individuals may also lack the requisite motivation to engage in self-monitoring: it has been postulated that their social behaviour is mostly affected by internal dispositions, affective states and cognitive distortions, rather than external stimulus cues (Rahaim et al, 1980). Furthermore, as per the hypothesis of ‘depressive realism’ (Alloy & Abramson, 1979), depressed individuals have an increased tendency to focus on truth – often at the expense of optimism – and this worldview may make them less inclined to stray from their ‘actual self’ in social situations through the act of self-monitoring.…”

“…The association of self-monitoring with depression has been investigated in a few small and methodologically dissimilar studies, with mostly inverse (Gonnerman et al, 2000; Hofmann, 2006; Rahaim et al, 1980) but also some (small) positive (Lester, 1990; Sunal & Domnez, 2011) associations yielded. The absence of available studies and their limited comparability makes it difficult to make firm conclusions on the above theoretical positions; further studies are therefore needed.…”