Children's attributions in the family: The Children's Relationship Attribution Measure.

This study assessed children's attributions in parent-child relationships, examined their association with relationship ositivity and behavior displayed toward the parent, determined whether depressive symptoms account for these associations, and investigated whether parent and child attributions are linked. Ten- to 12-year-old children (116 girls, 116 boys) completed several questionnaires and were observed during parent-child interactions. Children's attributions for parent behav-ior were related to positivity of the parent-child relationship and to self- and parent-reported conflict and observed behavior with the father. These associations were not due to children's depressive symptoms but potentially augment our understanding of the effect of depression on parent-child relationships. Finally, gender moderated the parent attribution-child attribution association. The results underscore the importance of children's perceptions offamily processes. The study of children's perceptions of family events has led to increased understanding of their reactions to such events at both theoretical