The Resentful Embittered Personality, Adjustment, and Depression In Student and Marital ...

219 Pages·2014·1.57 MB·English

by  Vytas Velyvis

The Resentful Embittered Personality, Adjustment, and Depression
In Student and Marital Relationships

Vytas Velyvis

A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Graduate Program in Psychology
York University
Toronto, Ontario

June 2014

© Vytas Velyvis, 2014
Abstract
Hostility and anger have long been shown to be predictive of negative psychological, interpersonal
and physical outcomes. Much of the literature, has focused on hostility as a state rather than a
personality trait and has not attempted to explicate the link between embittered personality and
depression. To achieve these goals, a newly created measure called the Resentful Embittered
Personality Scale (REPS) was evaluated in detail. First, the literature examining the construct of
embitterment and hostility was reviewed, its links with depression was explained, and unpublished
pilot data were reviewed. Next, the psychometric properties, convergent and divergent validity, and
reliability of the REPS were evaluated in the first study by exploring correlations with the NEO-FFI
and other specific personality constructs and measures of hostility and distress. The second study
evaluated the REPS with the larger measure of general personality, the NEO-PI-R, to further
understand the nuances of these relationships between the REPS and the specific facets from the Big
Five measure of personality. The focus of the third study was to examine the REPS with respect to
both well-being and distress along with measures of stress. Finally, the fourth study examined the
predictive validity of the REPS with respect to dyadic adjustment and depression six months later,
after the birth of their first child. Results showed that the REPS was a valid and reliable measure and
that the construct’s associations with certain factors of the NEO-PI R suggested that it reflected a
highly ego-defensive and interpersonally sensitive personality style that likely functioned to set up a
self-fulfilling prophecy of expected and elicited interpersonally conflictual exchanges. Multiple
hierarchical regression analyses found that the REPS predicted both main and interactive effects of
psychological distress and well-being over and above other personality and stress measures. Finally,
embittered personality predicted poorer dyadic adjustment and depression for both male and female
heterosexual couples three months after the birth of their first child. Together these results lent
support to the interpersonal and negative affectivity theories of depression and have shown the REPS
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to be a valid, reliable and useful personality measure for personality, interpersonal and clinical
purposes.

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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Gordon Flett, for all his patience and guidance over the
years until this work was complete. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Debra
Pepler and Dr. Doug McCann who provided invaluable feedback to help improve the quality of this
dissertation. More personally, I would like to thank my friends and colleagues, especially Drs.
Eilenna Denisoff and Peter Farvolden who gave me unwavering support and encouragement over the
years. Thanks as well to my family members whose faith, love, and support I always felt throughout
this process including but not limited to Dianne Scoffield, Line Dufour, as well as my mother whom
I knew was always with me. Finally, a special thank you to my loving wife, Linda Chow, who
always believed in me and patiently supported me throughout this rewarding, but nevertheless, long
and arduous process.

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Table of Contents
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………….. ii
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………. iv
Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………… v
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………….. viii
List of Figures………………………………………………………………………. x

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………. 1
Depression and Hostility……………………………………………………. 2
Resentful Embittered Personality…………………………………………… 5
Theoretical and Anecdotal Background of the
Resentful Embittered Personality in Depression……………………………. 9
Health and Hostility………………………………………………………… 13
Development of the Resentful Embittered Personality Scale (REPS)……… 14
Previous Research using the REPS: Undergraduate Theses………….…….. 15
Study One…………………………………………………………………………… 18
Rationale: Study 1…………………………………………………………... 18
Five factor model of personality and embittered personality……….. 18
Hostile automatic thoughts, cynicism, blame and the
resentful embittered personality…………………………………….. 19
Interpersonal adjustment and the resentful embittered personality…. 21
Attachment and resentful embittered personality…………………… 22
Hypotheses: Study 1………………………………………………………… 26
Method: Study 1…………………………………………………………….. 27
Sample Characteristics: Study 1……………………………………. 27
Materials: Study 1…………………………………………………... 27
Analyses: Study 1…………………………………………………………… 33
Results: Study 1……………………………………………………………... 34
REPS and NEO-FFI………………………………………………… 34
REPS and Hostile Automatic Thoughts…………………………….. 34
REPS and Interpersonal Styles……………………………………… 34
REPS and Attachment Styles……………………………………….. 35
REPS and Trait Cynicism…………………………………………… 35
REPS and Blame Attribution………………………………………... 35
REPS and Social Desirability……………………………………….. 36
Discussion: Study 1…………………………………………………………. 36
Study Two…………………………………………………………………………… 41
Rationale: Study 2…………………………………………………………… 41
Hypotheses: Study 2…………………………………………………………. 43
Method: Study 2……………………………………………………………… 44
Sample Characteristics: Study 2……………………………………… 44
Materials: Study 2……………………………………………………. 44
The Revised NEO Personality Inventory…………………………….. 44
Analyses: Study 2……………………………………………………………. 45
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Results: Study 2………………………………………………………………. 45
Zero Order Correlations between the REPS and NEO-PI-R………. 46
Discussion: Study 2………………………………………………………… 47
Study Three………………………………………………………………………… 52
Rationale: Study 3…………………………………………………………. 52
Hypotheses: Study 3……………………………………………………….. 58
Method: Study 3…………………………………………………………… 59
Sample Characteristics: Study 3…………………………………… 59
Materials: Study 3………………………………………………….. 60
Analyses: Study 3………………………………………………………….. 62
Results: Study 3……………………………………………………………. 62
Reliabilities………………………………………………………… 62
Zero Order Correlation Analyses………………………………….. 63
Depression and resentful embittered personality………….. 63
Negative social interactions and resentful embittered personality 63
Interpersonal sensitivity and resentful embittered personality 64
Life event stress and resentful embittered personality 64
Wellbeing and resentful embittered personality 64

Multiple Regression Analyses – Interpersonal Sensitivity
and Resentful Embittered Personality predicting Depression……….. 65

Exploratory Moderating Effects of REPS with Interpersonal
Sensitivity predicting Depression……………………………………. 66

Multiple Regression Analyses – Interpersonal Sensitivity and
Resentful Embittered Personality predicting Wellbeing……………. 67

Exploratory Moderating Effects of REPS with Interpersonal
Sensitivity predicting Wellbeing……………………………………. 67

Multiple Regression Analyses – Stress and Resentful
Embittered Personality predicting Depression……………………… 68

Exploratory Moderating Effects of REPS with
Stress predicting Depression……………………………………….. 69

Multiple Regression Analyses – Stress and Resentful
Embittered Personality predicting Wellbeing……………………… 70

Exploratory Moderating Effects of REPS with Stress
predicting Well-being………………………………………………. 71

Discussion: Study 3………………………………………………………… 71

Study Four………………………………………………………………………….. 80
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Rationale: Study 4…………………………………………………………. 80
Hypotheses: Study 4………………………………………………………… 84
Method: Study 4…………………………………………………………….. 84
Participants: Study 4………………………………………………… 84
Materials: Study 4…………………………………………………… 86
Results: Study 4……………………………………………………………... 88
Reliabilities………………………………………………………….. 88

Zero Order Correlation Analyses – Depression and
Dyadic Adjustment………………………………………………….. 88

Multiple Regression Analyses – Dyadic Adjustment……………….. 90

Multiple Regression Analyses – Depression………………………… 91

Repeated Measures Analysis – Depression………………………….. 93

Discussion: Study 4………………………………………………………….. 95

General Discussion………………………………………………………………….. 101
Directions for Future Research and Limitations…………………………….. 114
Treatment Implications……………………………………………………… 116
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………… 117
References…………………………………………………………………………… 140

Appendices…………………………………………………………………………... 162
Appendix A………………………………………………………………….. 163
Appendix B………………………………………………………………….. 188
Appendix C………………………………………………………………….. 194
Appendix D………………………………………………………………….. 202

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List of Tables

Table 1: Study 1 Descriptive Statistics & Correlation with REPS 119

Table 2: Study 2 Descriptive Statistics, Zero-order Correlations
with REPS, & Cronbach’s Alpha Reliabilities 121

Table 3: Study 3 Means, Standard Deviations, Internal Reliabilities
And Univariate F-tests for sex 123

Table 4: Study 3 Bivariate Correlations with Resentful Embittered
Personality (REPS) 124

Table 5: Study 3 Regression Equations for Personality Measures
predicting Depression 125

Table 6: Study 3 Regression Equation for Personality Measures
Predicting Wellbeing 126

Table 7: Study 3 Regression Equation for Stress Measures and
REPS predicting Depression 127

Table 8: Study 3 Regression Equation for Stress Measures and
REPS predicting Wellbeing for men and women 128

Table 9: Study 4 Means, Standard Deviations and Univariate
F-tests for sex effects 129

Table 10: Study 4 Internal Consistencies (Alpha) and Bivariate
Correlations with REPS 130

Table 11: Study 4 Regression Equation Predicting Dyadic Adjustment 131

Table 12: Study 4 Regression Equation Predicting Time 1-Depression
for fathers and mothers 132

Table 13: Study 4 Regression Equation Predicting Time 2-Depression
for fathers and mothers 133

Table 14: Repeated Measures ANOVA predicting depression over time
by REPS category and Sex 134

Table 15: Study 4 Means and Standard Deviations for Depression by
Time, Sex, and REPS category 135

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Table 16: Study 4 Means and Standard Deviations for Dyadic
Adjustment by Time, Sex, and REPS category 136

Table 17: Study 4 Repeated Measures ANOVA predicting Dyadic
Adjustment over time by REPS and Sex 137

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Study 4 Moderating effects of REPS with Negative
Life Event Stress in predicting Wellbeing 138

Figure 2: Study 4 Moderating effects of REPS with Negative
Social Interactions in predicting Wellbeing 139

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