This paper discusses a study undertaken to examine the reaction of others to the behavior of depressed persons. The general hypotheses of the study are that (1) normal subjects respond differentially to the behavior of depressed patients; (2) this differential response is due to the fact that the target individuals are depressed, and not that they are patients; and (3) this pattern can be related to the symtomology of depression. More specifically, it was hypothesized that depressed persons induce depression and hostility in others, and consequently are rejected socially. The experiment involved a single telephone conversation between paired women. One women of each pair was a college student, the other was either a depressed outpatient of a mental health center, a nondepressed outpatient, or a control group member. These conversations were then rated on various dimensions and a measure of postconversation mood was completed by each participant. The results are supportive of the hypotheses, and are discussed in terms of their implications. (SJL)