Measuring Cognitive Rigidity in Construing Self and Others with the Repertory Grid Technique: Further Test of the Cognitive Model for Depression

Beck’s cognitive model is one of the most popular for explaining depression. In a previous work, we assessed the presence of some of the cognitive features of Beck’s model (negative view of self and others, dichotomous thinking, low flexibility of thinking) in a clinical sample of patients with depressive symptoms by comparing them with controls. To that end, we used indexes derived from the repertory grid technique (RGT) and inspired by Kelly’s personal construct theory. Patients with MDD presented higher discrepancies between self and ideal self (lower self-esteem), between self and others (higher perception of social isolation), and between others and ideal self (more negative view of others), as well as lower richness in their personal constructs (poorer descriptions of self and others). In the present study, we replicated our former one with different participants (clinical sample n = 161; controls n = 110) in an attempt to corroborate our previous findings. Our results were generally consistent with the previous ones, except for one cognitive feature: patients with MDD presented higher levels of polarization (a black-or-white way of construing self and others). Overall, our results support Beck’s cognitive model of depression. However, other cognitive aspects that can be assessed using the RGT (e.g., cognitive conflicts or dilemmas) may be considered in further explanations of depression, to provide a more comprehensive model.