An experimental study on the automaticity of depressives' cognitive and behavioral characteristics shown in interpersonal interactions

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Present study examined the effects of cognitive load on cognition and behavior of depressive people. More specifically, this study examined self-evaluation, self-presentation, and predictions for other people's evaluations for one's own self-presentation.For self-evaluation, depressives' self-evaluation tended to become more favorable under cognitive load. This result supports the idea that unfavorable self-evaluation of depressives is formed through controlled regulatory processes.For self-presentation, under cognitive load, depressives' self-presentation became more favorable while non-depressives' self-presentation became less so. This opposite effect of cognitive load was interpreted according to the different aims of self-presentation of depressives and non-depressives.For predictions about other people's evaluations for one's own self-presentation, contrary to the prediction, there was no difference between depressives and non-depressives without cognitive load. Moreover, both groups' prediction became more favorable under cognitive load.Analyses using level of self-esteem instead of depressive tendency revealed different results especially for predictions about other people's evaluations for one's own self-presentation. Further investigation is needed to examine if these differences are critical factor for differentiation of low self-esteem and depression.