Dysphoria and children's processing of supportive interactions.
This study examined the processing of supportive interactions by dysphoric and nondysphoric preteens and early adolescents. Seventy-two youngsters between the ages of 10 and 13 evaluated the supportiveness and helpfulness of standardized, videotaped interactions between a distressed preadolescent and a maternal figure. The tape presentations varied in terms of the level of depicted maternal support and instructional condition (degree of self-reference). The results indicated that dysphoric youngsters evaluated both the supportiveness and helpfulness of interactions less positively than nondysphoric agemates. Group differences in support evaluations were most pronounced in the self-referenced condition. The level of depicted support did not affect processing differences. Dysphoric subjects reported lower levels of emotional support in prior relationships and a greater tendency to view supportive behavior as ingenuine than nondysphoric peers. Variation in prior support experiences accounted for group differences in the evaluation of the supportiveness of new interactions.
Shirk
S R
SR
Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Colorado 80208, USA.
Van Horn
M
M
Leber
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011386:Projective Techniques; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support