Better to keep a negative self-perception than ask for feedback? - How depressive symptoms are associated with the desire for social feedback.

BACKGROUND

We investigated whether depressive symptom severity is associated with incongruence between how people perceive themselves (self-perception) and how they expect others to perceive them (meta-perception). We also examined whether these discrepancies explain feedback-seeking. We hypothesized that elevated depressive symptoms are related to low preference for positive and self-incongruent feedback and high preference for negative and self-congruent feedback.

METHOD: In study 1 (N = 149), we presented 20 positive and 20 negative traits. For each trait, participants rated their self- and meta-perception. In study 2 (N = 212), we presented the same traits. In addition to their self- and meta-perception, participants indicated their desire to receive other people's feedback for each trait.

RESULTS

In study 1, depressive symptom severity was related to a higher incongruence between self- and meta-perception, as participants' self-perception was more negative than their meta-perception. Study 2 indicated that depressive symptom severity was related to less feedback-seeking. Incongruence between self-and meta-perception and valence did not moderate the relationship between depressive symptoms and feedback-seeking.

CONCLUSION

Depressive symptoms are associated with incongruence between self- and meta-perception and reduced feedback-seeking. However, incongruence between self- and meta-perception and valence did not explain reduced feedback-seeking in depression, emphasizing the importance to further investigate the causes for feedback avoidance in depression.