Children's Over‐ and Underestimation of Academic Competence: A Longitudinal Study of Gender Differences, Depression, and Anxiety

Cole, David A.; Martin, Joan; Peeke, Lachlan G.; Seroczynski, A. D.; Fier, Jonathan

doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00033

Cited by 186 publications

(181 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Whereas cognitive theories suggest that negative cognitive errors make one vulnerable to depression, some of the findings reported by Cole and his colleagues (Cole et al, 1998(Cole et al, , 1999Hoffman et al, 2000) suggest the reverse. That is, in a nonclinical sample of children, depressive symptoms predicted more negative perceptual biases over time.…”

Section: Negative Self-perceptionsmentioning

confidence: 97%

A longitudinal study of children's depressive symptoms, self-perceptions, and cognitive distortions about the self.

McGrath¹,

Repetti²

2002

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

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This longitudinal study examined how depressive symptoms relate to children's self-perceptions and to estimates of children's cognitive distortions about the self in a nonclinical sample of children who were followed from 4th grade (n ϭ 248) through 6th grade (n ϭ 227). Report card grades measured children's academic competence, and teachers' ratings of children's level of peer acceptance at school indicated social acceptance. Self-reported depressive symptoms predicted a change in children's negative views of the self. Moreover, the self-perceptions of children who exhibited more symptoms of depression appeared to reflect an underestimation of their actual competence. Children's negative self-perceptions and underestimations about the self were not associated with a subsequent change in depressive symptoms. The implications of the findings for cognitive theories of depression and future research with this population are discussed.Cognitive theory suggests that cognitions, particularly negative beliefs about the self, are related to the etiology of depression (Beck, 1967(Beck, , 1976. Two of the most basic assumptions of the theory, (a) that cognition has causal priority over emotions and (b) that depressed children's negative beliefs about the self reflect distortions of reality, have rarely been tested in the childhood depression literature (for reviews, see Garber, Quiggle, & Shanley, 1990;Hammen, 1990). The current study used a prospective longitudinal design to test associations between depressive symptoms and two dimensions of children's self-perceptions: the overall evaluation of the self and the accuracy of that judgment. First, we tested whether negative self-perceptions are associated with subsequent increases in signs of depressive symptoms or whether the reverse is true (i.e., depressed mood predicts a more negative view of the self). Second, estimating negative biases in children's judgments about the self, we examined whether underestimations of competence are a risk factor for future depressive symptomatology. The reverse causal model was also tested.

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Section: Negative Self-perceptionsmentioning

confidence: 97%

A longitudinal study of children's depressive symptoms, self-perceptions, and cognitive distortions about the self.

McGrath¹,

Repetti²

2002

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

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“…Evidence supporting negative self-perception as a proximal vulnerability to depressive symptoms is found in eight (Cole, Jacquez, & Maschman, 2001;Cole, Martin, & Powers, 1997;Cole, Martin, Powers, & Truglio, 1996;Kistner, Balthazor, Risi, & Burton, 1999;Measelle et al, 1998;Ohannessian, Lerner, Lerner, & von Eye, 1999; of the fourteen studies. Mixed evidence is found in three studies (Cole, Martin, Peeke, Seroczynski, & Fier, 1999;Hoffman, Cole, Martin, Tram, & Seroczynski, 2000;Kistner, DavidFerdon, Repper, & Joiner, 2006), with an additional three studies (Cole, Martin, Peeke, Seroczynski, & Hoffman, 1998;Lewinsohn et al, 1994;McGrath & Repetti, 2002) presenting evidence that depression predicts self-perception. Thus, the empirical base for self-perception as a cognitive vulnerability in youth is decidedly mixed.…”

Section: Self-perceptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, inaccurate self-perception predicts increases in depressive symptoms and depressive symptoms, in turn, predict decreased accuracy in self-perception (Kistner et al, 2006). Academic overestimation predicts depression at many grade levels, but the reverse relation yields stronger effects (Cole, 1999). Underestimated competency predicts increases in depression within few grade levels; however, the reverse relation is found in all grades (Cole, 1998).…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Empirical evidence of cognitive vulnerability for depression among children and adolescents: A cognitive science and developmental perspective

Jacobs

Reinecke

Gollan

et al. 2008

Clinical Psychology Review

187

135

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We summarize and integrate research on cognitive vulnerability to depression among children and adolescents. We first review prospective longitudinal studies of the most researched cognitive vulnerability factors (attributional style, dysfunctional attitudes, and self-perception) and depression among youth. We next review research on information processing biases in youth. We propose that the integration of these two literatures will result in a more adequate test of cognitive vulnerability models. Last, we outline a program of research addressing methodological, statistical, and scientific limitations in the cognitive vulnerability literature.

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“…Third, gender differences have been found in both objective and subjective ratings of competence. For example, there is some evidence that girls underestimate their academic competence relative to boys [20], while boys are typically rated as less socially competent than girls [21,22]. Thus, there may be gender differences in the saliency of particular problems for boys and girls.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescent School Failure Predicts Later Depression Among Girls

McCarty

Mason

Kosterman

et al. 2008

Journal of Adolescent Health

113

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Purpose: Past research has found that social, academic, and behavioral problems are linked with depression during childhood and adolescence. The present study tests a longitudinal cascade model of adolescent problems predicting depression into adulthood, while additionally testing for gender differences. Methods:Using prospective longitudinal analysis with a sample of 808 youth followed from age 10 to 21, we tested whether social problems, school failure, and delinquency in adolescence increased risk for a Major Depressive Episode in emerging adulthood. Structural equation modeling was used to test for gender differences. Results:Both early conduct problems and adolescent school failures predisposed girls to depression in young adulthood. Among the boys, none of the problems conferred risk for depression. Conclusions:This study highlights the mutual interplay between school failure and psychological functioning. It is suggested that school adaptation in adolescence be considered a mental health issue.

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Children's Over‐ and Underestimation of Academic Competence: A Longitudinal Study of Gender Differences, Depression, and Anxiety

Cited by 186 publications

References 69 publications

A longitudinal study of children's depressive symptoms, self-perceptions, and cognitive distortions about the self.

A longitudinal study of children's depressive symptoms, self-perceptions, and cognitive distortions about the self.

Empirical evidence of cognitive vulnerability for depression among children and adolescents: A cognitive science and developmental perspective

Adolescent School Failure Predicts Later Depression Among Girls

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