Cited by 934Personality Traits and PsychologyAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesIdentity, Memory, and Therapy

Self-Complexity and Affective Extremity: Don't Put All of Your Eggs in One Cognitive Basket

Linville, Patricia W.·1985·Social Cognition

Abstract

This research develops and tests a model relating complexity of self-representation to affective and evaluative responses. The basic hypothesis is that the less complex a person's cognitive representation of the self, the more extreme will be the person's swings in affect and self-appraisal. Experiment 1 showed that those lower in self-complexity experienced greater swings in affect and self-appraisal following a failure or success experience. Experiment 2 showed that those lower in self-complexity experienced greater variability in affect over a 2-week period. The results are discussed, first, in terms of self-complexity as a buffer against the negative effects of stressful life events, particularly depression; and, second, in terms of the thought patterns of depressed persons. The results reported here suggest that level of self-complexity may provide a promising cognitive marker for vulnerability to depression.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1521/soco.1985.3.1.94

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24 of 24 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Life designs or self-systems with a diversified, multifaceted structure of goals and personal projects will generally enhance flexible accommodation of goals.

    “Life designs or self-systems that involve a diversified, multifaceted structure of goals and personal projects will generally enhance flexible accommodation of goals; this assumption converges with findings suggesting that high ''self-complexity'' renders persons less vulnerable to depression (Linville, 1985(Linville, , 1987)).”

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Authors
Linville, P. W.
Affiliations
Yale University (US)
Corresponding author
Linville, Patricia W.
Venue
Social Cognition
Published
1985-03
Volume
3
Issue
1
Pages
94-120
ISSN
0278-016X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2027488617
Cited by
934
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 28
FWCI
5.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Social Cognition (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
Keywords
self-complexity, self-representation, affective variability, self-assessment, depression, cognitive vulnerability to depression, life events, cognitive markers

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