The relations between cluster indexes of risk and promotion and the problem behaviors of 6-and 7-year-old children from economically disadvantaged families

This study examined the relations between alternative representations of po verty cofactors and promotion processes and teacher reports of the problem behaviors of 6- and 7-year-old children from economically disadvantaged fam ilies (N = 159). The results showed that single-index representations of ri sk and promotion variables predicted child aggressive behaviors but not chi ld anxious/depressed behaviors. An additive model of individual risk indica tors performed similarly. Smaller indexes representing clusters of parent a djustment variables and family instability variables, however, differential ly predicted aggressive and anxious/depressed behaviors, respectively. The results suggest the importance of promotion processes and of representing e nvironmental adversity at varying levels of specificity for children from e conomically disadvantaged families.