Objective: To examine the reformulated learned helplessness theory, and the hopelessness theory of depression operationalized using the weakest-link and traditional approaches in African Americans and European Americans. Method: One hundred eighty African American college students and two hundred and fifty European American college students were recruited to complete questionnaires on stress, cognitive vulnearbii8ty and depression. Results: For European Americans, both the traditional and weakest-link approaches of operationalizing the hopelessness theory interacted with life stress in association with depressive symptoms. For African Americans, the weakest-link approach of operationalizing the hopelessness theory and the learned helplessness theory interacted with life stress in association with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the learned helplessness theory using the traditional approach interacted with negative life stress in associating with depressive symptoms. The weakest-link approach did not exert unique variance over the traditional approach for both ethnic groups.
