Differences in causal attributions among depressed, aggressive, and mixed depressed and aggressive latency-aged children
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Description
This empirical investigation compared the attributional styles of depressed, aggressive, and mixed depressed and aggressive latency-aged children. It was hypothesized that there were significant differences in the manner in which the three diagnostic groups explain good and bad events utilizing the attributional dimensions of controllability, locus, stability, and globality The outpatient clinical sample consisted of 30 youngsters ages 7 through 12, 10 depressed, 10 aggressive, and 10 mixed depressed and aggressive. Diagnostic classification was made utilizing the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (1981, 1983) and the Children's Depression Inventory (1988). Attributions were measured using the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale (1973) and the Kastan-Revised Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (1978, 1988). Social competency, demographic, and family data were also obtained. Results pertaining to hypotheses were analyzed by one-way ANOVA comparing attributional differences among diagnostic categories. Correlational statistics were utilized in a more exploratory analysis of the relationship between depression and aggression and the attributional dimensions and included family and social competency data The results indicated that the Aggressive group viewed themselves as having significantly more control over events in their lives as compared to the Depressed group. The Mixed group did not differ substantially from either of the other two groups on controllability. On the other attributional dimensions, significant differences were found only between the Aggressive and the Mixed groups. The Mixed group had a more overall depressive attributional style, attributed fewer positive events to internal causes, and viewed negative events as more global than did the Aggressive group. Social competency was positively correlated with Depressed group membership and negatively correlated with Mixed group membership. Youngsters in the Mixed group were also more likely to have suffered abuse and neglect. The results suggest that controllability is an important attributional dimension in understanding the thinking of both depressed and aggressive youngsters; that there is more than one attributional pattern in youngsters exhibiting clinical depression; and that social competency and abuse/neglect play a role in the development of both depression and aggression in children