NCJ Number
79647
Date Published
1977
Length
143 pages
Annotation
This study was designed as a partial test of the theory that depression is a response to a loss or reduction in reinforcement following traumatic separation from previous major sources of such reinforcement.
Abstract
To test this proposition, the study focused on two variables thought to mediate the depressive response to an external loss: social skill deficits and an external locus of control of reinforcement. Using a self-report measure of depression in adolescents, the study assessed depression in two samples of adolescent offenders who were being evaluated by the South Carolina Department of Youth Services prior to sentencing by the courts. One group consisted of 47 youths who had been committed to a residential center for a period of from 30 to 45 days, while the other group consisted of 61 adolescents who were evaluated on a nonresidential basis. Findings demonstrated a significantly higher level of depression in the residential sample at the initial testing than in the nonresidential group, with mean depression scores for the residential group decreasing to slightly below the level of the nonresidential group at the time of release. An external locus of control at admission was associated with higher depression scores at both testing sessions, as were longer durations of looking at a confederate's face and few verbalizations during a dyadic interaction, particularly for females. Recovery from depression, i.e., a decrease in scores over time, was related to age, family income, and latency to initiate conversation with a confederate in the initial segment of the dyadic interaction. The study concludes that the results provide support for a loss of reinforcement model of depression. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed and the need for research on the stability of social skill and locus of control variables are identified. About 75 references, tables, and study instruments are provided. (Author abstract modified)