| Summary: | This study examined the relationship of depressive symptomatology and gender with
social problem-solving ability in hopes of furthering the understanding of adolescent depression,
and how gender and social skills relate to this disorder. It was predicted that non-depressed
adolescent females would be better problem-solvers than non-depressed adolescent males, while
depressed adolescent females would not differ in their social problem-solving ability from
depressed adolescent males. Relevancy of means, accuracy of problem identification, the
generation of alternatives, and consequential thinking were the problem-solving processes
examined. Research questions were posed concerning possible interactions between gender and
level of depression for perceived social problem-solving and problem-solving self-efficacy.
432 adolescents (265 females and 165 males) ages 13 to 20 (M = 15.92) completed a selfreport
measure of adolescent depressive symptomatology (Reynolds Adolescent Depression
Scale; Reynolds, 1987) . Those students demonstrating high depressive symptomatology were
re-administered the depression measure one to two weeks later, along with two paper and pencil
social problem-solving measures; the Social Problem-Solving Interview-Revised (revised from
Connolly, 1989a) and the Means Ends Problem Solving Procedure (Piatt & Spivack, 1975).
Questions concerning perceived social problem-solving and problem-solving self-efficacy were
also posed. Students demonstrating low depressive symptomatology were matched with this
group and also administered the depressive symptomatology and social problem-solving
measures. Students reporting consistent depressive symptomatology on both administrations of
the depression measure made up the final group for analyses. The final high depressive
symptomatology group included 19 females and 5 males, while the low depressive symptomatology group included 26 females and 11 males.
There was a significant interaction between the quality of solutions generated and
depression and gender. Non-depressed females were more likely to generate more positive
solutions than non-depressed males. Depressed males and females did not differ in their quality
of solutions. The low internal consistency of the subscale assessing quality of solutions makes
results hypothetical. No other significant interactions, between gender and depression, were
found for individual problem-solving processes.
A significant main effect for depression was found where depressed participants produced
significantly more irrelevant means than non-depressed individuals. No significant gender
differences were found for any area of social problem-solving.
There was not a significant interaction between gender and depression in perceived social
problem-solving ability or problem-solving self-efficacy. A main effect for depression was
found, whereby depressed participants perceived themselves as poorer problem solvers, both
prior to and after solving the problem, than non-depressed participants. Results mdicating
depressed individuals have a lower perception of their problem-solving ability are consistent with
cognitive theories of depression (Beck, 1967), suggesting negative self-perceptions are a key area
of difficulty in terms of depressed individuals' social skills. In relation to the other results of the
study, perception of skills may be the primary area of the problem-solving process with which
depressed individuals have difficulty.
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