title: Emergence of attributional style and its relation to depressive symptoms.
abstract: The development of depressive attributional style (AS) and its role as a cognitive diathesis for depression were examined in children and adolescents (Grades 2-9). In a 4-wave longitudinal study of 3 overlapping age cohorts, AS, negative life events, and depressive symptoms were evaluated every 12 months. Consistency of children's attributions across situations was moderately high at all ages. The cross-sectional structure of AS changed with age, as stability became a more salient aspect of AS than internality and globality. The structure of AS also changed, becoming more traitlike as children grew older. In longitudinal analyses, evidence of a Cognitive Diathesis x Stress interaction did not emerge until Grades 8 and 9, suggesting that AS may not serve as a diathesis for depression at younger ages. Results suggest that attributional models of depression may require modification before they are applied across developmental levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. david.cole@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ciesla
authors.forename: Danielle H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Dallaire
authors.forename: Farrah M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Jacquez
authors.forename: Ashley Q
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lagrange
authors.forename: Alanna E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Truss
authors.forename: Amy S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Folmer
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tilghman-Osborne
authors.forename: Julia W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Felton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology