Two studies investigated the uncertainty orientation model of self-regulation as it relates to control motivation in moderate depressives and nondepressives. It was hypothesized that moderately depressed persons would be more likely than nondepressed persons to process information when control deprived, as opposed to nondeprived, only if they were uncertainty oriented. Certainty-oriented persons were expected to decrease information processing under these conditions. Participants differing in uncertainty orientation and depression level were assessed for information processing following control deprivation or no deprivation. In Study 1, desire for information about the deprivation task was assessed and participants were given a second performance task. In Study 2, information seeking was measured while reading about social outcomes. The expected three-factor interaction was found to be significant on measures of information seeking and performance in both studies. A model to represent these findings is proposed, as are implications for research on depression, coping, and control.
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