Phenomenological perceptions of parental evaluations in depressed and nondepressed college students.

Examined three hypothesis shared in common by several contemporary theoreticians of depression: (1) depressogenic parents maintain unrealistically high ideals for their offspring; (2) depressogenic parents negatively evaluate these offspring; (3) depressive offspring show lowered self-evaluations. Phenomenological perceptions of parental ideals and attitudes were reported by depressed and nondepressed college students (N = 48). These data supported the latter two hypotheses, but not the first. Results are discussed in terms of interpersonal attraction theory as well as in terms of a possible model of mutual influencability in the family interactions of depressives.