Attributional style in relation to self-esteem and depression: Mediational and interactive models

In their original statement of the reformulated model of learned helplessness, Abramson, Seligman, and Teasdale (1978) argued that internality is related to depression through self-esteem, whereas stability and globality only have direct relationships with depression. A test of this model using path analysis (N = 289) provided support for the predicted indirect relationship between internality and depression. However, contrary to the model, globality was significantly related to self-esteem, and the relation between stability and depression was not significant. Several models proposing interactions between the attributional style dimensions were also tested; none of the interactions tested attained statistical significance. The methodological and conceptual implications of these findings for the reformulated model of learned helplessness are discussed.