Situational determinants of young children's gratitude: The effects of perceived intentionality and the value of the benefit on gratitude and prosocial behavior.

Across a series of studies, we examined the effects of the intentionality of the benefactor and the value of the benefit on 3- to 6-year-old children's gratitude, using an experimental design. Feelings and expressions of gratitude were used as indicators of gratitude, and prosocial behavior toward the benefactor was examined as a possible behavioral correlate. Experiment 1 (N = 175) showed that the benevolent intention of the benefactor affected preschool children's gratitude and helping behavior toward the benefactor. Experiment 2 (N = 172) found significant effects for the perceived value of the benefit on children's gratitude and prosociality. Experiment 3 (N = 218) showed that children's gratitude was influenced by both the value of the gift and the benefactor's benevolent intentions. Children's theory-of-mind abilities mediated the relationship between children's age and gratitude. The results suggest that intention and gift value may act as determinants of gratitude in early childhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The moderation of attachment in the association between depressive symptoms and self-harm among a clinical sample.

BACKGROUND: Self-harm is a severe health problem worldwide and in particular in clinical settings. The association of depression and self-harm has been extensively studied alongside various variables that have been examined as moderating this association. However, no previous study has examined the moderating role of attachment in this association. AIM: We explored the role of attachment orientation in moderating the association between depressive symptoms and self-harm among a sample of patients in a community mental health clinic. METHOD: This study was a de-identified archival study of patients' medical charts, and used a convenience sample of 199 patients, which completed self-report measures following the initial intake appointment as part of clinic procedures. RESULTS: Findings showed that both attachment anxiety and avoidance moderated the association between depressive symptoms and self-harm, such that depressive symptoms were positively associated with self-harm only when attachment anxiety scores were high, and attachment avoidance scores were high or average. CONCLUSIONS: Attachment anxiety and avoidance should be assessed in the initial intake of patients as it has a contribution to understanding self-harm vulnerability among new patients. Future studies should explore this moderation longitudinally so causality could be inferred.