Resumen de Temperament synergies in risk for and protection against depressive symptoms: : A prospective replication of a three-way interaction

Michael W. Vasey, Casaundra N. Harbaugh, Laura B. Fisher, Jacqueline H. Heath, Andrew F. Hayes

• High negative emotionality (NE), low positive emotionality (PE), and low effortful control (EC) are each associated with elevated depressive symptoms and each moderates the effects of the others. However, those 2-way interactions consistently emerge only at some levels of the third dimension. This NE × PE × EC interaction yields a �best two out of three� pattern in which low risk on any two dimensions overcomes high risk on the third. This study of 319 college students provides the first prospective test of this 3-way interaction. Results revealed the expected interaction predicting both concurrent symptoms and change in symptoms over a 7-week interval. Furthermore, its pattern closely matched past findings. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.