ABSTRACT
Previous studies have found that perceived parenting is associated with dysfunctional attitudes that predict depression. However, few studies have empirically investigated processes by which perceived parenting is associated with dysfunctional attitudes. To fill this gap, this study tested the hypothesis that perceived low parental care would be associated with negative core beliefs, which, in turn, would be associated with dysfunctional attitudes. To strictly test the hypothesis, this study controlled for current depressive symptoms that could affect the relationships between study variables. The participants were 305 college students (141 females). The results differed by sex: for female students, the hypothesis was supported; for male students, negative core beliefs were associated with dysfunctional attitudes; however, perceived low care was not associated with negative core beliefs. The findings suggest that targeting low parental care and negative core beliefs for females and negative core beliefs for males may help prevent their dysfunctional attitudes and the resultant depression.
Author Note
Yuji Kuroda is an associate professor at the Center for Arts and Sciences at Fukui Prefectural University in Japan. His major research interests include cognitive vulnerabilities, stress, and depression.
Funding
This research was financially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) (25780419) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.