Investigating Depressed Children's Perceptions of Their Social Competence

• In Event: 2-158 - Children's Perceptions of Their Social World: Effects on Socioemotional Adjustment and Peer Relations

Integrative Statement

INTRODUCTION: Research suggests that depressed individuals often demonstrate a negative cognitive bias; that is, they tend to negatively interpret their experiences and selectively attend to the negative (Beck, 2008). More specifically, children with depressive symptoms are more likely than nondepressed peers to view themselves as lacking social competencies (Rudolph, 2009). Less is known about the extent to which depressed children’s negative perceptions of their social competence are justified and whether – accurate or not – they present as a vulnerability for future peer relationship difficulties. This study’s purpose was to examine perceptions of social competence among children with elevated depressive symptoms (i.e., “depressed children”). Specific aims were to evaluate whether (1) perceptions of social competence differ for depressed vs. nondepressed children, (2) depressed children underestimate their social competence, and (3) depressed children’s perceptions of their social competence are prognostic of peer victimization, the most severe form of peer maltreatment.

METHOD: A sample of 3rd-5th graders (N = 233) was recruited from two elementary schools in a metropolitan area in the southeastern US. Self-reports of depressive symptoms and social competence (i.e., social skills, social control) and teacher-reports of children’s social competence (i.e., social helplessness) and peer victimization were collected in the fall and spring of a school year (Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2), respectively). I classified children as symptomatic for depression if they scored .5 SD above the mean on T1 self-reported depressive symptoms (n = 59 “depressed children”).

RESULTS: To test the first aim, I evaluated differences in depressed vs. nondepressed children’s perceptions of their social competence (i.e., social skills, social control). Relative to nondepressed children, depressed children reported significantly lower levels of concurrent social skills, t(81) = 5.13, p = .000 (M = 3.27, SD = .64 vs. M = 2.61, SD =.90) and social control, t(80) = 5.41, p = .000 (M = 18.63, SD = 3.88 vs. M = 14.95, SD = 4.62). Analyses conducted to address the second aim (i.e., to investigate whether depressed children underestimate their social competence), revealed that teachers did not report significant differences in depressed, compared to nondepressed, children’s social helplessness, t(103) = -1.67, p = .098 (M = .54, SD = .52 vs. M = .37, SD =.46, respectively). With respect to the third aim, among children classified as depressed, self-reports of T1 social skills and perceived control were associated with teacher reports of T2 peer victimization (Table 1).

CONCLUSION: In sum, findings imply that depressed, compared to nondepressed, children report lower levels of social competence. Additionally, when using teacher reports as a point of reference, it appears that depressed children’s perceptions of their social competence reflect a negative bias. Importantly, however, depressed children’s perceptions of their social competence were prognostic of future teacher-reports of peer victimization. Taken together, results suggest that, although depressed children may initially underestimate their social competence, their pessimistic views of their social world may contribute to a self-fulfilling prophecy, or their development of problematic peer relations across time.

Author

• Karen P. Kochel, University of Richmond
  Presenting Author