Representations of self and other in the narratives of neglected, physically abused, and sexually abused preschoolers

Abstract

The MacArthur Story Stem Battery was used to examine maternal and self-representations in neglected, physically abused, sexually abused, and nonmaltreated comparison preschool children. The narratives of maltreated children contained more negative maternal representations and more negative self-representations than did the narratives of nonmaltreated children. Maltreated children also were more controlling with and less responsive to the examiner. In examining the differential impact of maltreatment subtype differences on maternal and self-representations, physically abused children evidenced the most negative maternal representations; they also had more negative self-representations than nonmaltreated children. Sexually abused children manifested more positive self-representations than neglected children. Despite these differences in the nature of maternal and self-representations, physically and sexually abused children both were more controlling and less responsive to the examiner. The investigation adds to the corpus of knowledge regarding disturbances in the self-system functioning of maltreated children and provides support for relations between representational models of self and other and the self-organizing function that these models exert on children's lives.

Depressed and healthy preschoolers' internal representations of their mothers' caregiving: Associations with observed caregiving behaviors one year later

“…Macfie, Toth, Rogosch, Robinson, Emde, and Cicchetti (1999) reported that maltreated children displayed fewer representations of parental distress relief (i.e., parents' response to children's verbal or non-verbal cues for help or empathy) in narratives compared to nonmaltreated children. Furthermore, Toth, Cicchetti, Macfie, and Emde (1997) showed that maltreated and abused preschoolers were more likely to represent their parents negatively, as more controlling, and to have fewer positive and effective discipline representations during their story stem narratives. Taken together, these findings provide support for the penetrating effects of dysfunctional caregiving (e.g., maltreatment and/or abuse) early in life in relation to children's internal representations of their parents detectable through children's story stem narratives.…”

Abuses and Distortions in Emotional Processes as Risk Factors for Parricide

“…By four years old, children already display consistent individual differences in the quality and quantity of their negative emotional reaction in facing a failure (Alessandri and Lewis 1996;Dweck, Chiu and Hong 1995). Compared to the not maltreated ones, physically abused children, but not the neglected ones, have more negative representations of the self (Toth et al 1997) and are more likely to experience self-evaluative emotions in reaction to a failure, because of the biases in their negative beliefs about the self, their abilities and their personal value.…”

Young children's stories of love, fear and violence at home: a qualitative analysis of the narrative representations of maltreated preschool boys diagnosed with disruptive behavior, regulatory dysfunction, oppositional defiant, conduct and anxiety disorders

“…When the sample of preschool children included greater diversity (43% African-American, 3% Latino, 18% mixed ethnic background) and older preschoolers (mean age of 5 years), their narratives contained more negative maternal and self-representations than did narratives of nonmaltreated children (Toth, Cicchetti, Macfie & Emde, 1997). These maltreated children also portrayed more grandiose self-representations, were less responsive to the examiner, and displayed fewer disciplining parent representations than nonmaltreated children.…”

“…In the creation process, where parents and children construct narrative accounts of family experience, caretakers can contribute to children's rising levels of anxiety and confusion, oppositional, defiant, aggressive behavior, and other antisocial disorders, or they can instill an increasing awareness and ability to successfully cope with conflictual events and painful emotions (Slade, 1994). Representational research suggests that preschool children have the emotional capacity and cognitive maturity to inform us about their caregiving experiences (Toth et al, 1997).…”

“…The psychological and developmental literature suggests that preoperational skilled children have the emotional capacity and cognitive maturity to inform us about their caregiving experiences (Toth et al, 1997). Piaget taught that such children can use their emerging representational and symbolic abilities to organize and act upon their world.…”