A developmental perspective on the study of depression: Children's evaluative reactions to sadness.

Examined developmental differences in emotional expression. It is suggested that there are cognitive and character structures that may be prerequisites for certain adult reactions to painful life events. The self-denigrating adult may be a discrepancy between self-representation and ideal self. In a child, these structures may not yet be stable enough to withstand such critical self-appraisal. 35 5- and 7-yr-olds were asked to give liking ratings to hypothetical children who had undergone a painful life event and to give evaluative ratings of themselves in the same situations. Older Ss evaluated a hypothetical other and themselves negatively, whereas the 5-yr-olds could not extend their negative evaluation of a sad other to themselves. Results are discussed in terms of developmental changes in the depressive reaction. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)