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Stability of internalizing symptoms from kindergarten to first grade and factors related to instability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Robert C. Pianta*
Affiliation:
University of Virginia
Joanna Castaldi
Affiliation:
University of Virginia
*
Address reprint requests to: Robert C. Pianta, PhD, 147 Ruffner Hall, 405 Emmet St., Charlottes-ville, VA 22903.

Abstract

This research examines the frequency and stability of internalizing symptoms in a sample of 325 5-year-olds. Parent and teacher ratings, teacher nominations, parent-child interaction, and child measures were obtained. Of the sample, 4% were nominated as depressed by teachers. With the use of cutoff scores on teacher ratings, an average of 17% of the children were rated as having moderate problems on the internalizing scale in November and April of kindergarten, and in February of first grade. Parent-teacher stability correlations ranged from .24 to .27, while teacher ratings from November and April correlated at .60. Instability in internalizing symptoms from kindergarten to first grade was related to a number of concurrent and previously assessed factors, most notably, attention problems, reliance on mother, and child intelligence. These factors combined to account for an additional 8% of the variance in first grade internalizing symptoms after controlling for internalizing symptoms in kindergarten.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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