Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Development and Validation of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale

  • Published:
Cognitive Therapy and Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to introduce thePsychological Vulnerability Scale (PVS), a six-itemmeasure of a set of cognitions that promote harmfulreactions to stress. Maladaptive cognitive reactions tointerpersonal events can affect coping behavior andpsychological and physical well-being. A measure ofpsychological vulnerability that reflects detrimentalcognitive beliefs could be valuable in identifyingindividuals most in need of cognitive-behavioralinterventions. Three samples (ns = 90, 138, and 137) ofindividuals with rheumatoid arthritis provide evidencefor the reliability and validity of the PVS, which has adequate internal consistency and test-retestreliability. Convergent validity of the scale isdemonstrated by positive correlations with measures ofperceived helplessness, negative affect, maladaptive pain coping behaviors, and disease activity,and negative correlations with measures of positiveaffect, life satisfaction, adaptive pain-copingbehaviors, perceived social support, and personal coping resources such as self-efficacy. Thesensitivity of the PVS to cognitive-behavioralintervention is also demonstrated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Abramson, L. Y., Metalsky, G. I., & Alloy, L. B. (1989). Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression. Psychological Review, 96, 358–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alloy, L. B., Lipman, A. J., & Abramson, L. Y. (1992). Attributional style as a vulnerability factor for depression: Validation for past history of mood disorders. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 391–407.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, P., & Mason, C. (1996). An overview of depression-prone personality traits and the role of interpersonal sensitivity. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 30, 90–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. K., Wallston, K. A., & Nicassio, P. N. (1989). Social support and depression in rheumatoid arthritis: A one-year prospective study. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 19, 1164–1181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Champion, L. A., & Power, M. J. (1995). Social and cognitive approaches to depression: Towards a new synthesis. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 34, 485–503.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charlton, P. F., & Power, M. J. (1995). The assessment of dysfunctional attitudes and their role in the onset, persistence and recurrence of clinical depression. European Journal of Personality, 9, 379–400.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa, P. T. & McCrae, R. R. (1987). Neuroticism, somatic complaints, and disease: Is the bark worse than the bite? Journal of Personality, 55, 299–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costello, C. G. (1994). Two dimensional views of psychopathology. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 391–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeVellis, B. M. (1993). Depression in rheumatological diseases. Balliere's Clinical Rheumatology, 7, 241–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larson, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franche, R. L., & Dobson, K. S. (1992). Self-criticism and interpersonal dependency as vulnerability factors to depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 419–435.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1993). Dimensions of perfectionism, daily stress, and depression: A test of the specific vulnerability hypothesis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 58–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., & Ediger, E. (1996). Perfectionism and depression: Longitudinal assessment of a specific vulnerability hypothesis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105, 276–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joiner, T. E. (1995). The price of soliciting and receiving negative feedback: Self-verification theory as a vulnerability to depression theory. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104, 364–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorig, K., Chastain, R., Ung, E., Shoor, S., & Holman, H. (1989). Development and evaluation of a scale to measure perceived self-efficacy in people with arthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 32, 37–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Metalsky, G. I., & Joiner, T. E. (1992). Vulnerability to depressive symptomatology: A prospective test of the diathesis-stress and causal mediation components of the hopelessness theory of depression. Journal of Personality an Social Psychology, 63, 667–675.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miranda, J. (1992). Dysfunctional thinking is activated by stressful life events. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 473–483.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, R. G., & Blackburn, I. M. (1996). The stability of sociotropy and autonomy in depressed patients undergoing treatment. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 20, 69–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman, S.P., & Revenson, T.A. (1993). Coping with rheumatoid arthritis.Balliere' s Clinical Rheumatology, 7, 259–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, J. M., Ross, M. J., Maier, M., & Wiener, R. L. (1991). Cognitive vulnerability to depression as revealed by vulnerability markers. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6, 585–596.

    Google Scholar 

  • Persons, J. B., & Miranda, J. (1992). Cognitive theories of vulnerability to depression: Reconciling negative evidence. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 485–502.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pincus, T. (1996). Rheumatoid arthritis. In S. T. Wegener, B. L. Belza, & E. P. Gall (Eds.), Clinical Care in the Rheumatic Diseases. Atlanta, GA: American College of Rheumatology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Power, M. J., Duggan, C. F., Lee, A. S., & Murray, R. M. (1995). Dysfunctional attitudes in depressed and recovered depressed patients and their first-degree relatives. Psychological Medicine, 25, 87–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D Scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riskind, J. H., Rholes, W. S., Brannon, A. M., & Burdick, C. A. (1987). Attributions and expectations: A confluence of vulnerabilities in mild depression in a college student population. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 349–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robins, C. J. (1995). Personality—event interaction models of depression. European Journal of Personality, 9, 367–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruble, D. N., Greulich, F., Pomerantz, E. M., & Gochberg, B. (1993). The role of gender-related processes in the development of sex differences in self-evaluation and depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 29, 97–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, M. F. & Carver, C. S. (1985). Optimism, coping, and health: Assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies. Health Psychology, 4, 219–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schill, T., & Sharp, M. (1995). Self-defeating personality and depression: A closer look. Psychological Reports, 76, 1167–1170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, V. G., Wallston, K. A., Dwye r, K. A., Blackburn, D. S., & Fuchs, H. (1998). Effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for women with rheumatoid arthritis. Research in Nursing & Health, 21, 315–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. A., Wallston, K. A., Dwyer, K. A., & Dowdy, S. (1997). Beyond good and bad coping: A multidimensional examination of coping with pain in persons with rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 19, 11–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. S., Wallston, K. A., & Smith, C. A. (1995). The development and validation of the Perceived Health Competence Scale. Health Education Research: Theory & Practice, 10, 51–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. W., Peck, J. R., Milano, R., & Ward, J. (1988). Cognitive distortion in rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 412–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. W., Christensen, A. J., Peck, J. R., & Ward, J. R. (1994). Cognitive distortion, helplessness, and depressed mood in rheumatoid arthritis: A four-year longitudinal analysis. Health Psychology, 13, 213–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein, M. J., Wallston, K. A., & Nicassio, P. M. (1988). Factor structure of the Arthritis Helplessness Index. Journal of Rheumatology, 15, 427–432.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D. & Clark, L. A. (1984). Negative affectivity: The disposition to experience aversive emotional states. Psychological Bulletin, 96, 465–490.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psvchology, 54, 1063–1070.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Vaughn G. Sinclair
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kenneth A. Wallston
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sinclair, V.G., Wallston, K.A. The Development and Validation of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale. Cognitive Therapy and Research 23, 119–129 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018770926615

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018770926615

Search

Navigation