A developmental perspective on the study of depression: Children's evaluative reactions to sadness.

Abstract

Many investigators have observed that the emotional reaction of an adult to painful life circumstances is often very different from that of a child. Whereas an adult may react to an unpleasant life event with mild depression, a young child may react to the same event with crying, temper tantrums, or stomach aches. The present study is an attempt to empirically examine developmental differences in emotional expression. It suggests that there are cognitive and character structures that may be prerequisites for certain adult reactions to painful life events. The self-denigrating adult may perceive a discrepancy between selfrepresentation and ideal self. These structures in a child may not yet be stable enough to withstand such critical self-appraisal. Five and 7-year-old subjects were asked to give liking ratings to hypothetical children who had undergone a painful life event and to give evaluative ratings of themselves in the same situations. Older children evaluated a hypothetical other and themselves negatively, whereas the 5-year-olds could not extend their negative evaluation of a sad other to themselves. These results are discussed in terms of developmental changes in the depressive reaction.

Effects of marital conflict on children: recent advances and emerging themes in process‐oriented research

“…Distinguishing between different forms of child maladjustment may help in specifying the moderating role of age. For example, whereas young children may express their distress in the form of externalizing difficulties (e.g., aggression, noncompliance, temper tantrums) in stressful interpersonal contexts (Glasberg & Aboud, 1981, 1982), as they grow older children may increasingly react to psychosocial adversity by exhibiting internalizing symptoms, dysphoria, and negative self‐appraisals (Angold & Rutter, 1992; Jouriles, Spiller, Stephens, McDonald, & Swank, 2000).…”

Improving Children's Attitudes Toward Refugees: An Evaluation of a School‐Based Multicultural Curriculum and an Anti‐Racist Intervention1

“…Despite these findings, there is inadequate research into the effects of anti‐racist programs, a fact that is concerning in light of the frequency with which they are used (Aboud & Levy, 2000). Anti‐racist programs also have the potential to increase, rather than decrease prejudice because insight into the prejudiced attitudes of the in‐group may arouse feelings of self‐righteousness rather than guilt, resulting in anger directed toward the target ethnic group (Glasberg & Aboud, 1981; McGregor, 1993).…”

Depressed mood and peer rejection in childhood

“…To date, several studies suggest that children's depressed mood is related to problematic peer relationships (Altmann & Gotlib, 1988;Glasberg & Aboud, 1981;Jacobsen, Lahey, & Strauss, 1983;Peterson, Mullins, & Ridley-Johnson, 1985;Rubin & Hymel, 1987;Vosk, Forehand, Parker, & Richard, 1982). However, these studies did not specifically measure peer rejection, therefore hindering the distinction between peer-rejected children and other unpopular children (i.e., neglected children) with no known risk for maladjustment (Kupersmidt et al, 1990).…”