Predictive utility of a novel observational assessment of child coping

Objectives This study examined the preliminary reliability and predictive and incremental validity of a novel system of coding observational assessments of children's coping behavior during a laboratory stress task using the Responses to Stress theoretical framework. Specifically, this study tested whether observations of child coping predicted child adjustment (i.e., internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and coping efficacy) overtime in middle childhood. Methods Child coping was observed in a community, pilot sample of children (N = 65, M age = 9.06) during a difficult star-tracing task. At baseline and six-month follow-up, children reported on their responses to stress and coping efficacy and parents reported on children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Results The Coping Coding System was highly reliable and predicted unique variance in child adjustment over time. Longer duration of engagement coping predicted greater coping efficacy and internalizing problems over time. The direction of association between disengagement coping and internalizing and externalizing problems depended on whether the disengaged behavior involved verbalizations. Conclusions Coping observations in the context of a challenge task contributed to individual differences in children's psychological adjustment, above and beyond child self-report of coping.