My future self and me: Depressive styles and future expectations

Little is known about the factors that influence the expectations youth have about their futures. The current study examined the link between personality variables (dependency and self-criticism) and expectations about social and career outcomes in a sample of 109 low-income, urban, 14-year old youth. After controlling for demographic factors and psychological symptoms, self-criticism significantly predicted each negative expectation about the future (becoming an unwed parent, going on welfare, not going to college, and not getting a wanted job). Dependency had a significant protective effect on expectations about getting a wanted job. Self-criticism appears to have a robust effect on youth expectations about their futures that cannot be completely explained by its links to psychological distress. Implications for future research and interventions are discussed.