Introducing Semantic Differentiation Technique and Its Application in Assessment of Semantic Representation of Depressed Patients

The aim of this study was to assess the semantic representation of depressed patients and also the efficacy of semantic differentiation technique for this kind of assessment. Subjects (30 depressed and 30 non- depressed persons) were selected through convenient sampling. The instruments used included a modified version of a semantic differentiation task, which�embodied four stimulus concepts of me, past, life and future, and Beck’s Depression Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive methods, t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and regression analysis. There was a significant difference in the total semantic differentiation scores between dep-ressed and normal subjects.There was a positive correlation between the severity of depression and negative semantic representation. Negative representation of the concept “me” was the strongest predictor of depression. Depressed patients have a negative meaning representation of life, past, future, and in particular self that must be addressed by the therapists. The semantic differentiation technique is effective for clinical assessments.