Dependency,self-criticism,and perceptions of inferiority at summer camp: I'm even worse than you think

This research examined dependency and self-criticism and their relation to depression and social-personal adjustment. Seventy-seven subjects at a summer day camp, aged 8–14 years, completed the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire devised by Blatt et al. in 1992, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children devised in 1980, and a measure of self-esteem (SE) devised by Harter in 1982. Each subject was rated independently by two counselors on social, athletic, and general functioning. Results revealed that self-criticism, but not dependency, was positively related to depression. Moreover, self-criticism was associated with negative self-ratings in social and sports domains and in general SE. Counselor ratings confirmed social problems and perceptions of low SE for self-critics. Dependency was unrelated to self or counselor ratings, except for a trend toward a positive relation for social functioning. Analyses indicated a discrepancy between self and counselor ratings for self-critics but not for dependents, so that self-critics appear to exaggerate their weaknesses in social and athletic functioning. Finally, self-criticism decreased with age, while dependency was unrelated to age.Received B. A. from McGill University. Research interests include personality development and psychosocial adjustment. To whom correspondence should be addressed.Received Ph.D. from the University of Rochester. Research interests include motivation, personality, and life-span development.Received Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. Research interests include dependency, self-criticism, and vulnerability to depression.     

Dependency and Distress at Summer Camp

Examined the relation of dependency to psychological distress among youngsters adapting to summer sleep-away camp. Levels of dependency, self-criticism, and psychological distress were assessed in three groups of campers: children attending a neighborhood day camp, children who were returning to sleep-away camp, and children who were attending sleep-away camp for the first time. Psychological distress was assessed in terms of depression and low self-esteem. The results supported the prediction that dependency would be more predictive of distress for children at sleep-away camp (particularly for names) than at day camp. The specificity of dependency as a vulnerability factor during attachment-related transitions was supported by showing that children's level of self-criticism was not differentially related to distress for the three groups of campers. Results are discussed within the framework of the Personality-Event Congruence Model of Depressive Vulnerability.     

Parental Autonomy-Support,Intrinsic Life Goals,and Well-Being Among Adolescents in China and North America

Self-determination theory proposes that prioritizing intrinsic life goals, such as community involvement, is related to well-being, whereas focusing on extrinsic life goals, such as financial success, is associated with lower well-being and that parenting influences the type of life goals that youth adopt. In a sample of 515 Chinese (56% female, mean age = 15.50) and 567 North American (52% male, mean age = 14.17) adolescents, a model of the relationships between parenting, life goals, and well-being was investigated and confirmed for intrinsic life goals. Across societies, autonomy-supportive parenting was associated with the endorsement of intrinsic life goals, which in turn was associated with well-being. Intrinsic life goals partially mediated the relationship between parental autonomy-support and well-being. These findings suggest that, cross-culturally, prioritizing intrinsic life goals is related to increased well-being among adolescents and that parents could encourage intrinsic life goals by being supportive of their children’s autonomy.     

Depressive styles in adolescence: Assessment,relation to social functioning,and developmental trends

Examined the relation of dependency and self-criticism to social functioning among adolescents. Subjects were 7th–11th graders from a suburban high school who completed the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Adolescents (DEQ-A) and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP). The results showed that self-criticism was strongly associated with reporting a greater number of interpersonal problems, particularly in the areas of sociability and control. Dependency was only marginally related to interpersonal difficulties. The results also showed that levels of self-criticism tended to decline steadily across the high-school years, whereas levels of dependency followed a U-shaped curvilinear pattern in which it was higher in the early and late high school years relative to the middle years. Finally, the present study provides initial evidence of a reliable, shortened 20-item version of the DEQ-A.This research was funded by a team grant to David Zuroff, Richard Koestner, and Debbie Moskowitz from the Fonds Pour La Formation De Chercheurs Et L'Aide A La Recherche (FCAR-Quebec). Richard Koestner was also funded by a McGill Faculty grant.Received B.A. from McGrill University. Research interests include personality development and psychosocial adjustment.Received Ph.D. from University of Rochester. Research interests include motivation, personality, and life-span development.Received Ph.D. degree from University of Connecticut. Research interests include dependency, self-criticism, and vulnerability to depression.