DISTRESSED AND NONDISTRESSED 3RD-GRADE AND 6TH-GRADE CHILDRENS SELF-REPORTS OF LIFE EVENTS AND IMPACT AND CONCORDANCE WITH MOTHERS

This study examined the concordance of third- and sixth-grade distress ed and nondistressed children's self-reports of the occurrence and per ceived impact of life events that had occurred during the preceding 12 months with their mothers' perceptions. The study also examined wheth er maternal self-reports of dysphoria affects concordance between moth er/child dyads on children's self-reports of occurrence and perceived impact of life events. Eighty-eight mother/child dyads, matched on Chi ldren's Depression Inventory scores, grade, sex, race, and school were included Results indicated that distressed children endorsed more ite ms on the Coddington Life Events Record (LER), and perceived them more negatively, than nondistressed children. Small, but statistically sig nificant concordance rates were found between dyads on the occurrence of life events and the perceived impact of these events: Distressed ch ildren and their mothers had more mutually endorsed items than nondist ressed children and mothers, and third-grade children had higher conco rdance rates with their mothers when compared to sixth-grade children. Third-grade children also appeared to commit more errors of commissio n on the LER. Finally, maternal distress mediated mother/child concord ance. Possible explanations for these results and future research dire ctions are discussed.