Lynd-Stevenson R M
Psychology Clinic, School of Behavioural Sciences, James Cook University of North Queensland.
Br J Clin Psychol. 1997 Feb;36(1):73-83. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1997.tb01232.x.
Present research provides little support for the prediction central to hopelessness theory that hopelessness mediates the full relationship between vulnerability factors (e.g. stressful life-events, attributional style) and depression. Indeed, contrary to hopelessness theory, an accumulating body of research indicates that hopelessness moderates the relationship between vulnerability factors and depression. The proposal in the present study was that the type of hopelessness typically measured in the research literature has trait-like characteristics and cannot be used to test the mediation hypothesis. The prediction was that hopelessness would operate as a mediator and not a moderator if items in a measure of generalized hopelessness were reworded to measure event-specific hopelessness. A sample of 153 unemployed people completed measures of attributional style for positive and negative outcomes, stress associated with being unemployed, job hopelessness, and depressive symptoms. The results supported the hypothesis that event-specific hopelessness mediates, but does not moderate, the relationship between vulnerability factors and depression. Implications for hopelessness theory and future research are discussed.
目前的研究几乎没有为绝望理论的核心预测提供支持，该预测认为绝望在脆弱性因素（如压力性生活事件、归因方式）与抑郁之间的整个关系中起中介作用。事实上，与绝望理论相反，越来越多的研究表明绝望调节着脆弱性因素与抑郁之间的关系。本研究中的提议是，研究文献中通常测量的绝望类型具有特质性特征，不能用于检验中介假设。预测是，如果将广义绝望测量中的项目重新措辞以测量特定事件的绝望，那么绝望将作为中介而非调节变量起作用。153名失业人员的样本完成了对积极和消极结果的归因方式、与失业相关的压力、工作绝望和抑郁症状的测量。结果支持了这一假设，即特定事件的绝望在脆弱性因素与抑郁之间起中介作用，但不起调节作用。文中讨论了对绝望理论和未来研究的启示。
