Leiden University Student Repository

Biezen, Babs van (2026)

Depressie en het aannemen van nep-depressiesymptomen: Een multiverse data-analyse van zelfverificatieprocessen

Bachelor thesis | Psychologie (BSc)

The study by Hart and colleagues (2021) suggests that individuals with higher levels of depressive symptoms more frequently reported and adopted symptoms that align with the idea of a ‘depressive brain’. The authors aimed to investigate whether individuals with higher levels of depression are more likely to adopt faux-symptoms to confirm their depressive identity. In their study, several methodological choices were made for which alternatives exist. This raises the question of how robust these findings truly are. Therefore, this study created a multiverse analysis based on the original research. In total, 18 analyses were performed based on three decision points: the sample selection, type of depression measurement, and whether or not negative affect was included as a covariate. Analyses were performed on the full sample, as well as on only the male- and female participants. For the depression measurement (Beck Depression Inventory – II), the original total score was compared with...Show moreThe study by Hart and colleagues (2021) suggests that individuals with higher levels of depressive symptoms more frequently reported and adopted symptoms that align with the idea of a ‘depressive brain’. The authors aimed to investigate whether individuals with higher levels of depression are more likely to adopt faux-symptoms to confirm their depressive identity. In their study, several methodological choices were made for which alternatives exist. This raises the question of how robust these findings truly are. Therefore, this study created a multiverse analysis based on the original research. In total, 18 analyses were performed based on three decision points: the sample selection, type of depression measurement, and whether or not negative affect was included as a covariate. Analyses were performed on the full sample, as well as on only the male- and female participants. For the depression measurement (Beck Depression Inventory – II), the original total score was compared with the cognitive-affective subscale and the somatic subscale. The results of this multiverse analysis indicate that the findings by Hart and colleagues (2021) are robust for both the full sample and the female sample. However, the male participants showed a lot of variability in outcomes, with several results no longer reaching significance. Overall, these findings suggest that generalizing the original conclusions to men may be incorrect, likely due to the much smaller number of male participants in the original study.Show less

Multiverse analysis

Depression

faux symptoms

Author

Biezen, Babs van

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Supervisors

Breemer, L.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

nl