DEPRESSION AND ALCOHOL INGESTION: A TELEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE (PERSONALITY THEORY, AFFECTIVE DISORDER)

BARBARA JANE MOSBACHER, Purdue University

Abstract

The study investigated whether affective assessment, a construct presumed to be a cognitive component of mentation, contributes to the physiological effects of alcohol on the learning styles of clinically depressed and nondepressed adults. The term "affective assessment" is derived from Rychlak's (1977) logical learning theory (LLT), a teleological theory of human learning and behavior, which serves as the theoretical foundation for the study. Logical learning theory acknowledges that alcohol will exert physiological effects on affective status; however, the meaning of such physical sensations or emotions is believed to be framed teleologically via subjective cognitive conceptualization of the physical experience. Sixteen psychiatric outpatient adults, clinically diagnosed as having major depressive disorders, were compared to 16 nondepressed, psychiatrically normal adults on an immediate recall task. The task consisted of learning consonant-vowel-consonant trigram material judged for their likability or "reinforcement value" (RV), the methodological equivalent of affective assessment. The study was designed to assess idiographic affective learning styles under conditions of sobriety and alcoholic intoxication. Consistent with predictions, an "RV-positive"effect was found for nondepressed individuals who learned liked material more readily than disliked material and an "RV-reversal" effect was evident for depressed individuals who learned their disliked material more readily than liked. Following alcohol ingestion, the overall affective learning style of either group did not alter significantly. However, in learning liked material, the nondepressed group deteriorated (p < .01) after drinking, while the depressed group did not deteriorate. For disliked material, both groups deteriorated significantly subsequent to alcohol ingestion. The implications of the findings support LLT's contention that psychiatrically normal individuals will learn more of what is liked in experience than what is disliked and that those with a negative self-concept (i.e., depressed individuals) will learn more of what they dislike. The results support the view of affective assessment as a cognitive dimension rather than a physical-emotional dimension. Moreover, the findings support the contention that the affective sequalae to alcohol ingestion are multidetermined, although cognitive factors appear to play a major role.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Psychotherapy

COinS