Child Psychopathology and the Quest for Control

What are the control beliefs of children at different ages? How do these beliefs predispose children to different psychological problems? In this volume, the authors describe the development of control beliefs - from preschoolers' fascination with magic, older children's investment in power, to adolescents' concern with freedom. The central thesis of Child Psychopathology and the Quest for Control is that a child's changing views of control over the course of development leads to significant changes in psychological functioning. The authors highlight points of convergence in the literature on developments in children's understanding of control, relations between control beliefs and psychopathology, and the age-related character of many forms of psychopathology. They focus on illustrative problems which peak at particular age periods: negativism and phobias in early childhood (ages 2-6); hostile aggression and inferiority in middle childhood (ages 6-13); and rebellion and depression in adolescence (ages 13-21). This book helps explain some of the major cognitive-developmental bases of problems and children's perspectives on them, information essential for designing effective interventions.