Revisited the accuracy hypothesis in an examination of the relation between maternal depressive symptomatology and child conduct problems. All data were gathered as part of the pretreatment assessment in an outcome study of families with clinic-referred conduct-disordered children (age 3 to 6). The mothers varied in their depressive symptomatology, from not at all symptomatic to severely symptomatic. Correlations indicated that with increasing depressive symptomatology, mothers (N = 95) displayed a higher rate of physical negative behaviors towards their child and reported more child conduct problems. Regression analyses revealed that at the lowest levels of maternal depressive symptomatology there was a discrepancy between mothers’ reports of child behavior problems and child deviant behaviors observed during mother-child interaction. In contrast, at higher levels of depression, mothers’ reports of child behavior were consistent with laboratory observations of their child’s behavior. These findings provide evidence to support the accuracy hypothesis in reference to mothers who endorse a high degree of depressive symptomatology, but the results also call into question the validity of maternal report in families with conduct-disordered children.

Child Study Lab
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology
University of Florida
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© 2001 University of Florida
Last updated: March 07, 2006.