Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Events, Emotional Adjustment, and Social Competence in Preschoolers Facing Economic Risk

University of Massachusetts Boston

ScholarWorks at UMass Boston

Graduate Masters Theses Doctoral Dissertations and Masters Theses

6-1-2012

Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Events,

Emotional Adjustment, and Social Competence in

Preschoolers Facing Economic Risk

Hillary Hurst

University of Massachusetts Boston

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Recommended Citation

Hurst, Hillary, "Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Events, Emotional Adjustment, and Social Competence in Preschoolers Facing

Economic Risk" (2012). Graduate Masters Theses. Paper 100.

EXPOSURE TO POTENTIALLY TRAUMATIC EVENTS, EMOTIONAL

ADJUSTMENT, AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE IN PRESCHOOLERS FACING

ECONOMIC RISK

A Thesis Presented

by

HILLARY HURST

Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies,

University of Massachusetts Boston,

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

June 2012

Clinical Psychology Program

©2012 by Hillary Hurst

All rights reserved

EXPOSURE TO POTENTIALLY TRAUMATIC EVENTS, EMOTIONAL

ADJUSTMENT, AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE IN PRESCHOOLERS FACING

ECONOMIC RISK

A Thesis Presented

by

HILLARY HURST

Approved as to style and content by:

__________________________________________________

Abbey Eisenhower, Assistant Professor

Chairperson of Committee

__________________________________________________

Joan H. Liem, Special Assistant to the Provost & Professor

Member

__________________________________________________

Alice S. Carter, Director of Graduate Program in Clinical

Psychology & Professor

Member

____________________________________

Alice S. Carter, Director,

Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology

____________________________________

Carol Smith, Acting Chairperson,

Psychology Department

iv

ABSTRACT

EXPOSURE TO POTENTIALLY TRAUMATIC EVENTS, EMOTIONAL

ADJUSTMENT, AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE IN PRESCHOOLERS FACING

ECONOMIC RISK

June 2012

Hillary Hurst, B.A., Wellesley College

M.A. University of Massachusetts Boston

Directed by Assistant Professor Abbey Eisenhower

The current study examined the relationship between exposure to potentially

traumatic events (PTEs), emotional adjustment, and social competence in a sample of

economically-disadvantaged, racially and ethnically diverse preschool-aged children

(n=63; 60% female; average age = 52 months, S.D. = 10.30, range: 36-74 months). In

this cross-sectional study, primary relationships between exposure to PTEs and emotional

adjustment, and exposure to PTEs and social competence were examined. Additionally,

parent affective symptoms were tested as a moderator of the relationship between child

exposure to PTEs and emotional adjustment, and emotional adjustment was tested as a

moderator of the relationship between child exposure to PTEs and social competence.

Gender effects of these relationships also were tested, on an exploratory basis. The

results of the current study suggest that exposure to PTEs involving interpersonal

violence are predictive of parent-reported emotional adjustment, and also that teacher￾reported emotional adjustment moderates the relationship between exposure to PTEs and

v

teacher-reported social competence. This research contributes to existing literature,

particularly on the relationship between emotional adjustment and social competence,

which is rarely studied through the lens of economic disadvantage and exposure to PTEs.

vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I extend my deepest thanks to Abbey Eisenhower, my research advisor, and to Joan

Liem and Alice Carter, my master’s committee members. Thank you so much for your

thoughtful and insightful feedback, encouragement, and support in my biggest research

undertaking to date! I am so grateful for your research training and guidance, and I look

forward to our future projects. I would also like to thank the past and present members of

the Eisenhower, Carter, and Liem research teams, who are inspiring, supportive, and

wonderful colleagues. I could not imagine a finer group of researchers, mentors,

teachers, and friends.

I would also like to thank Dr. Kerim Munir for his generous financial support that

allowed me to work on this thesis in the summer of 2011 and to receive advanced

statistics training. Thanks are also due to Beverley Gilligan, who coordinated this

support and my involvement with Children’s Hospital. The current study was supported

in part by NIMH/NIH R25 MH071286 (Dr. Kerim Munir, PI) at the Division of

Developmental Medicine, Children's Hospital, Boston.

Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Louise and Peter, my grandmother, Neska,

and my partner, Devon, for their unconditional encouragement, support, and love during

the writing process, and always.

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................. vi

LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................... ix

LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................... xv

CHAPTER Page

1. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE ..................................... 1

Preschool-Age Children’s Exposure

and Reactions to PTEs ...................................................... 1

Social Competence................................................................. 3

Emotional Adjustment ........................................................... 5

Parent Affective Symptoms as a Moderator

of Exposure to PTEs and Emotional Adjustment ............. 6

Specific Aims and Conceptual Models .................................. 9

2. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS ..................................... 12

Participants ............................................................................ 12

Procedures ............................................................................. 14

Assessments .......................................................................... 15

Data Procedures .................................................................... 21

3. RESULTS .................................................................................... 24

Rates of Exposure to Potentially Traumatic

Events (PTEs) .................................................................. 24

Relations Among Variables of Interest .................................. 27

Tests of Specific Aim 1: PTE Exposure, Emotional

Adjustment, and Social Competence ............................... 31

Tests of Specific Aim 2: PTE Exposure and Emotional

Adjustment Moderated by Parent Affective Symptoms .. 41

Tests of Specific Aim 3: PTE Exposure and Social

Competence, Moderated by Emotional Adjustment ........ 51

Tests of Specific Aim 4: Exploring Potential Moderating

Effect of Child Gender on PTE Exposure, Emotional

Adjustment, and Social Competence ............................... 77

4. DISCUSSION ................................................................................ 79

Strengths and Limitations ...................................................... 83

Future Directions ................................................................... 84

viii

APPENDIX

A. TRAUMATIC EVENTS SCREENING INVENTORY –

PARENT REPORT REVISED (TESI-PRR)….………….... 87

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………….. 90

ix

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1. Rates of Child Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Events

(PTEs) by Category............................................................................ 25

2. Descriptive Statistics of Emotional Adjustment,

Social Competence, and Parent Affective Symptoms Variables ....... 28

3. Correlation Coefficients for the Three Measures

of Child Emotional Adjustment ......................................................... 29

4. Correlation Coefficients for the Three Measures

of Child Social Competence .............................................................. 29

5. Correlation Coefficients for the Three Measures

of Parent Affective Symptoms ........................................................... 30

6. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Total

PTE Exposure Predicting Parent-Reported Total Problems

T Score on the CBCL ......................................................................... 32

7. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Interpersonal

PTE Exposure Predicting Parent-Reported Total Problems

T Score on the CBCL ......................................................................... 33

8. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Interpersonal

Violence PTE Exposure Predicting Parent-Reported

Total Problems T Score on the CBCL ............................................... 34

9. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for PTE Exposure

Predicting Teacher-Reported Total Problems T Scores

on the CTRF ....................................................................................... 35

10. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for PTE Exposure

Predicting Dysregulation ................................................................... 36

11. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for PTE Exposure

Predicting Parent-Reported Social Skills Standard Score

on the SSRS ....................................................................................... 37

12. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Total PTE

Exposure Predicting Teacher-Reported Social Skills

Standard Score on the SSRS .............................................................. 38

x

Table Page

13. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Interpersonal

PTE Exposure Predicting Teacher-Reported Social Skills

Standard Score on the SSRS .............................................................. 38

14. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Interpersonal

Violence PTE Exposure Predicting Teacher-Reported Social

Skills Standard Score on the SSRS .................................................... 39

15. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for PTE Exposure

Predicting Child-Reported Social Adjustment Raw Score on

BPI Peer Acceptance and Rejection Scale ......................................... 40

16. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Total PTE

Exposure and Parent Affective Symptoms Variables Predicting

Parent-Reported Total Problems T Score on the CBCL .................... 42

17. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Interpersonal

PTE Exposure and Parent Affective Symptoms Variables

Predicting Parent-Reported Total Problems T Score

on the CBCL ...................................................................................... 43

18. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Interpersonal

Violence PTE Exposure and Parent Affective Symptoms

Variables Predicting Parent-Reported Total Problems

T Score on the CBCL ......................................................................... 44

19. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Total PTE

Exposure and Parent Affective Symptoms Variables

Predicting Teacher-Reported Total Problems

T Score on the CTRF ......................................................................... 45

20. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Interpersonal

PTE Exposure and Parent Affective Symptoms Variables

Predicting Teacher-Reported Total Problems T Score

on the CTRF ....................................................................................... 46

21. Summary of Linear Regression Analysis for Interpersonal

Violence PTE Exposure and Parent Affective Symptoms

Variables Predicting Teacher-Reported Total Problems

T Score on the CTRF ......................................................................... 47