Moderating effects of sociotropy and autonomy on affective and self-esteem reactivity to daily stressors

We conducted a 10-day diary study that assessed daily stressors and end-of-day affect and self-esteem. We predicted that sociotropy would be associated with stronger sadness and self-esteem reactivity to daily interpersonal, but not achievement events, and that autonomy would be associated with the same pattern for daily achievement, but not interpersonal events. For the sample as whole, both daily interpersonal and achievement stressors were related to increased sadness and decreased self-esteem. As expected, the relationships involving interpersonal stressors were stronger for those high on sociotropy. However, the negative relationship between achievement stressors and self-esteem was also stronger for those high on sociotropy. Autonomy was associated with weaker self-esteem reactivity to interpersonal stressors. Our results are consistent with previous research on major life events, suggesting that sociotropy functions as a nonspecific vulnerability factor, and that autonomy’s role is unclear. Our results also suggest the heuristic value of a daily diary design to study the mechanisms underlying vulnerability factors’ role in the development and maintenance of depression.