From Maltreatment to Outcomes: Examining the Role of Explanations and Expectations as Mediators of the Maltreatment - Outcome Relation in Youth

Abstract

The relation between explanatory style, expectations, and behavioral outcomes (adaptive and maladaptive) were examined for 46 youth exposed to maltreatment currently in foster care (Mean age = 11.64, SD = 2.54). Youth participants were administered the Children's Attribution Style Questionnaire - Revised and Youth Life Orientation Test; caregivers completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children - 2nd Edition. Results indicated comparatively higher rates of negative mental health outcomes in youth with a history of maltreatment living in foster care compared to children in the general population. Children's expectations were not found to mediate the relation between explanatory style and outcomes (internalizing, externalizing, or adaptive outcomes). The results are contrary to previous research supporting relations between explanatory style, expectations, and behavioral outcomes. Implications of the results for the field are discussed.