Interpersonal and achievement orientations and specific stressors predicting depressive and aggressive symptoms in children

This prospective study of 486 fifth and sixth grade children examined the contributions of interpersonal (Neediness and Connectedness) and achievement (Self-Criticism and Individualistic-Achievement) orientations, specific stressors, and their interactions to the prediction of depressive symptoms and level of anger/aggression. For both genders, Neediness directly predicted increases in depressive symptoms, whereas Connectedness interacted with social stressors to predict level of anger/aggression. There was a significant main effect of Connectedness for girls and a significant Connectedness X social stressors interaction for boys when predicting depressive symptoms. Neither achievement orientation factor directly predicted or interacted with achievement stressors to predict depressive symptoms. In contrast, the I-Achievement factor interacted with achievement stressors to predict level of anger/aggression for girls, bur not boys. Results were consistent with the personality-event congruence hypothesis in that none of the vulnerability factors interacted with noncongruent stressors to predict either depressive symptoms or level of anger/aggression.