Learned helplessness in humans: A developmental analysis

Fincham, Frank D.; Cain, Kathleen M.

doi:10.1016/0273-2297(86)90016-x

Cited by 110 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Parents' expectations about their child's responses and the child's developing cognitions may, in fact, account for the association between parents' self-referent cognitions and child cognitions. For example, parents' expectations about their child's behavior are associated with the child's own explanatory style and self-concept (Cole, Maxwell, & Martin, 1997;Fincham & Cain, 1986;Garber & Flynn, 2001;Turk & Bry, 1992). Similar findings were reported for anxiety: anxious parents appear to expect their child to be more anxious, avoidant (Cobham, Dadds, & Spence, 1999) and distressed (Turner, Beidel, Roberson-Nay, & Tervo, 2003) than do less anxious parents.…”

supporting

confidence: 69%

A Longitudinal Investigation of Maternal and Child ‘Anxious Cognitions’

2006

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Overestimation of threat and underestimation of coping have been frequently reported amongst anxious adults and children. The current study examines the longitudinal relationship between mothers' anxious cognitions and expectations about their child, and children's anxious cognitions. 54 children (aged 10-11 years) and their mothers reported on their interpretation of ambiguous scenarios at two time points. Mothers also reported on their expectations about their child's reaction to ambiguous situations. Significant cross-sectional associations were found between mother and child anticipation of distress. Associations were most consistent between mothers' expectations and children's cognitions. Furthermore, based on regression analyses, mothers' expectations predicted change in children's anxious cognitions over time. Evidence for a reciprocal relationship, that child cognitions predict change in mothers' expectations, was found for girls. The results provide empirical support for potential influences on the development of children's 'anxious cognitive style,' and suggest targets for preventing and reducing maladaptive cognitions in children.

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supporting

confidence: 69%

A Longitudinal Investigation of Maternal and Child ‘Anxious Cognitions’

2006

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“…During the early stages of elementary school, the social cognitions of self and others tend to be concrete, onedimensional, transient, and heavily influenced by immediate personal experiences (Bierman & Montminy, 1983;Cicchetti & Toth, 1995). It is only after 8 years of age that children are likely to reliably attribute their success or failure to their own personal attributes; at the same time, a child's sense of his or her competence in a particular area is increasingly linked to specific (versus diffuse) interactions with the environment (Dweck & Leggett, 1988;Fincham & Cain, 1986;Harter & Whitesell, 1989). As middle childhood unfolds social selfcognitions become more stable and children are able to identify consistencies in their own and others' behavior (Bierman & Montminy, 1983;Dweck & Leggett, 1988;Nicholls & Miller, 1984).…”

Section: Developmental Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression, and Self- and Other-Assessments of Social Competence: A Developmental Study

Ostrander

Crystal

August

2006

J Abnorm Child Psychol

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This study examined whether others (i.e., teachers and parents) and self-appraisals of social competence mediated the relationship between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and depression. To determine whether age moderated the effects of the mediation, the total sample was divided into younger (under 9) and older (at or above 9 years) age levels. The total sample (age range 6.6 to 11.7 years) was primarily male (194 boys and 52 females) and consisted of 148 children diagnosed with ADHD and 98 community controls. Three central findings were derived from this study. First, there was a strong relationship between ADHD (with and without comorbid ODD/CD) and depression in both younger and older aged children. Among younger children with ADHD, there was no differential influence on the level of depression depending on whether or not ADHD was comorbid with ODD/CD; in contrast, with older children, comorbid ODD/CD had higher levels of depression than was the case for children with ADHD that did not display such comorbidity. Second, with younger children approximately half of the relationship between ADHD (with and without comorbid ODD/CD) and depression was exclusively mediated by others appraisal of social competence. Third, a more complex relationship between ADHD and depression emerged during the later part of the childhood years. As such, the relationship between ADHD, others appraisals of social competence, and depression was further mediated by self-appraisals of social competence. Findings are discussed in terms of developmental theory and theoretical models of childhood depression.

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“…Researchers have studied a variety of factors associated with LH, showing a strong link between LH and the risk of development of psychological disorders (Fincham & Cain, 1986;Maier & Watkins, 2005;McCrone, 1979;Peterson, 2010;Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993;Rius-Ottenheim, van der Mast, Zitman, & Giltay, 2013). However, the contextual and personal origins of LH received little attention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Perceived Parental Psychological Control and Learned Helplessness: The Role of School Self-efficacy

Filippello

Sorrenti

Passanisi

et al. 2015

School Mental Health

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Relatively few studies have examined the mechanisms through which psychological control creates impairments in the scholastic and academic areas of children's and adolescents' functioning. The purpose of this study was to highlight the relation between psychological control and learned helplessness (LH), and also to test school self-efficacy as a mediator in the relation between psychological control and LH. A total of 186 students (103 males and 83 females) aged between 14 and 18 (M = 16.22, SD = 1.21) completed self-report questionnaires assessing socio-demographic characteristics, parental psychological control, school self-efficacy, and LH. Both maternal and paternal psychological controls were negatively associated with self-efficacy and positively associated with LH. This statement is consistent with our hypotheses. Furthermore, structural equation modeling showed that school self-efficacy was a full mediator in the relation between perceptions of parental psychological control and LH. These results extend previous studies on parental psychological control in a school context and provide evidence for the relation with LH, identifying selfefficacy as a variable that accounts for the relation between parental psychological control and LH.

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Learned helplessness in humans: A developmental analysis

Cited by 110 publications

References 77 publications

A Longitudinal Investigation of Maternal and Child ‘Anxious Cognitions’

A Longitudinal Investigation of Maternal and Child ‘Anxious Cognitions’

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression, and Self- and Other-Assessments of Social Competence: A Developmental Study

Perceived Parental Psychological Control and Learned Helplessness: The Role of School Self-efficacy

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