DIFFERENTIAL VULNERABILITY OF DEPENDENCY AND SELF-CRITICISM AMONG DISADVANTAGED TEENAGERS

The postulate examined here was whether adolescents with different dysphoric tendencies vary in the types of life experiences to which they are most vulnerable. The sample consisted of 142 inner-city ninth-grade students. With self-rated depression and anxiety as outcomes, interactions examined involved dependent and self-critical dysphoric tendencies, each with achievement-related issues (school grades) and interpersonal indices (teacher and peer ratings). Consistent with expectations and prior research, self-criticism interacted with both interpersonal and academic indices, whereas dependency was involved in interactions only with interpersonal indices. In terms of directionality, the pattern of results was consistent with prior findings, with a single exception. The trends found involving self-criticism and grades indicated that ramifications of academic achievement can vary across different sociodemographic groups.