Two studies were undertaken to determine systematically how preventive behaviors associated with health, accidents, property loss, and financial loss are interrelated. Several dimensions of preventive behavior were found (e.g., checkups, risk taking, dietary patterns), and most of these dimensions were independent. Implications of these findings…

The data demonstrate the existence of a unified, negative cognitive content that is associated with depressed mood among normal subjects. Since cognition emerged as a more stable characteristic than affect, one might conjecture that the cognitive component is activated in--and perhaps triggers--the development of depressed mood. (Author)