Self-knowledge and depressive symptoms in late adolescence: a study using the repertory grid technique

Abstract

The goal of this study is to explore the relationship, suggested by recent developmental approaches, between several aspects of self-knowledge organization and depressive symptomatology in late adolescence, within the comprehensive framework of Kelly’s personal construct psychology. The repertory grid technique was used to obtain six measures of self-knowledge organization: global differentiation; polarization; presence of conficts; and discrepancies between actual self, ideal self, and others. Two inventories were used to create two samples of late adolescents according to their level of depressive symptoms. Results supported the expectations of greater global differentiation and actual– ideal self discrepancy (or lower self-esteem) for adolescents with depressive symptoms, as well as a higher likelihood of intrapersonal con icts. However, discrepancies between self (actual or ideal) and others (identi cation, and perceived adequacy of others), and polarization showed no significant differences. Furthermore, the association of symptom severity with different grid measures was stronger for adolescents with depressive symptoms. Results and limitations of this study are discussed, and the potential of using personal construct theory and the repertory grid technique in studies of self-knowledge and psychological adjustment during adolescence is explored.