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Authors
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Children and adolescents with maltreatment experiences show worse
representations of themselves, as compared to their nonmaltreated
counterparts. According to the looking-glass self hypothesis (LGSH),
individuals’ self-representations (SR) stem from interactions with significant
others, reflecting associations between what significant others think of
them (i.e., actual appraisals), individuals’ perceptions of significant others’
appraisals of them (i.e., reflected appraisals), and SR. However, little is
known about the looking-glass self process in maltreated children and
adolescents. This multi-informant study aimed to test the LGSH within the
mother–child relationship with children and adolescents with maltreatment
experiences. Specifically, including maltreatment experiences as copredictors, this study analyzed the mediating role of mothers’ reflected
appraisals (MRA) in associations between mothers’ actual appraisals (MAA)
and children/adolescents’ SR. Participants were 203 children/adolescents
(52.5% boys), 8–16 years old (M = 12.6; SD = 2.49), assisted by children
and youth protection committees (CYPC), their mother, and their CYPC
case workers. Case workers reported on child/adolescent maltreatment,
children/adolescents reported on SR and MRA, and mothers reported on MAA. A multiple mediation path analysis revealed significant mediation
effects of MRA between MAA and child/adolescent SR in instrumental,
social, emotional, intelligence, and opposition SR, thus supporting the
LGSH in the context of child/adolescent maltreatment. Also, psychological
neglect was associated to worse intelligence SR, mediated by intelligence
reflected appraisals. Findings emphasize the importance of the role of MRA
on maltreated children and adolescents’ SR construction process, and
provide useful clues to incorporate in prevention and intervention strategies
targeting maltreated children and adolescents.
Description
Keywords
Looking-glass self hypothesis Self-representations Children Adolescents Maltreatment
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Silva, C. S., & Calheiros, M. M. (2022). “(I Think) My Mother Thinks I Am, Therefore I Am.” The Looking-glass Self in Maltreated Children and Adolescents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(17-18), NP15670-NP15699. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211016352