Unwanted intrusive thoughts and cognitive functioning in kindergarten and young elementary school-age children following Hurricane Katrina

Manuel Sprung

doi:10.1080/15374410802148236

Unwanted intrusive thoughts and cognitive functioning in kindergarten and young elementary school-age children following Hurricane Katrina

Manuel Sprung

Research output: Journal article (peer-reviewed) › Journal article

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Seven months after Hurricane Katrina, 183 five- to eight-year-old children were surveyed about their own intrusive thoughts and tested on their level of cognitive functioning (knowledge about the mind and the mind's operations). Basic developmental research suggests that children who lack sufficient knowledge about the mind should have difficulties answering questions about intrusive thoughts. Hurricane-affected children reported relatively more intrusive thoughts with negative content than nonaffected children reported. An association between children's level of understanding of the mind and their ability to report on their own intrusive thoughts supports this hypothesis. Results point to a funneling of intrusive thoughts toward negative content following a traumatic event and highlight the importance of considering children's level of understanding of the mind when investigating intrusive thoughts in young children.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	575-587
Number of pages	13
Journal	Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
Volume	37
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/15374410802148236
Publication status	Published - Jul 2008
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Adaptation, Psychological
Arousal
Attention
Awareness
Child
Child, Preschool
Cognition
Culture
Disasters
Emotions
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Internal-External Control
Interview, Psychological
Male
Mississippi
Personality Assessment
Repression, Psychology
Socioeconomic Factors
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis
Thinking

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10.1080/15374410802148236

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title = "Unwanted intrusive thoughts and cognitive functioning in kindergarten and young elementary school-age children following Hurricane Katrina",

abstract = "Seven months after Hurricane Katrina, 183 five- to eight-year-old children were surveyed about their own intrusive thoughts and tested on their level of cognitive functioning (knowledge about the mind and the mind's operations). Basic developmental research suggests that children who lack sufficient knowledge about the mind should have difficulties answering questions about intrusive thoughts. Hurricane-affected children reported relatively more intrusive thoughts with negative content than nonaffected children reported. An association between children's level of understanding of the mind and their ability to report on their own intrusive thoughts supports this hypothesis. Results point to a funneling of intrusive thoughts toward negative content following a traumatic event and highlight the importance of considering children's level of understanding of the mind when investigating intrusive thoughts in young children.",

keywords = "Adaptation, Psychological, Arousal, Attention, Awareness, Child, Child, Preschool, Cognition, Culture, Disasters, Emotions, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Internal-External Control, Interview, Psychological, Male, Mississippi, Personality Assessment, Repression, Psychology, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis, Thinking",

author = "Manuel Sprung",

note = "Funding Information: Manuel Sprung is now Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Austria. Financial support for this study from the National Science Foundation (NSF BSC-0603674) is gratefully acknowledged. I am also grateful to Cecile D. Burge, Vice President of Research and Economic Development at the University of Southern Mississippi, for providing computer and video-recording equipment required for this study. Some of the research presented in this article was presented at the 2007 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (Symposium 1-026 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Dysfunctional Thoughts and Feelings Following Hurricane Katrina{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}).",

year = "2008",

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doi = "10.1080/15374410802148236",

language = "English",

volume = "37",

pages = "575--587",

journal = "Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology",

issn = "1537-4416",

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AU - Sprung, Manuel

N1 - Funding Information: Manuel Sprung is now Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Austria. Financial support for this study from the National Science Foundation (NSF BSC-0603674) is gratefully acknowledged. I am also grateful to Cecile D. Burge, Vice President of Research and Economic Development at the University of Southern Mississippi, for providing computer and video-recording equipment required for this study. Some of the research presented in this article was presented at the 2007 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (Symposium 1-026 ‘‘Dysfunctional Thoughts and Feelings Following Hurricane Katrina’’).

PY - 2008/7

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N2 - Seven months after Hurricane Katrina, 183 five- to eight-year-old children were surveyed about their own intrusive thoughts and tested on their level of cognitive functioning (knowledge about the mind and the mind's operations). Basic developmental research suggests that children who lack sufficient knowledge about the mind should have difficulties answering questions about intrusive thoughts. Hurricane-affected children reported relatively more intrusive thoughts with negative content than nonaffected children reported. An association between children's level of understanding of the mind and their ability to report on their own intrusive thoughts supports this hypothesis. Results point to a funneling of intrusive thoughts toward negative content following a traumatic event and highlight the importance of considering children's level of understanding of the mind when investigating intrusive thoughts in young children.

AB - Seven months after Hurricane Katrina, 183 five- to eight-year-old children were surveyed about their own intrusive thoughts and tested on their level of cognitive functioning (knowledge about the mind and the mind's operations). Basic developmental research suggests that children who lack sufficient knowledge about the mind should have difficulties answering questions about intrusive thoughts. Hurricane-affected children reported relatively more intrusive thoughts with negative content than nonaffected children reported. An association between children's level of understanding of the mind and their ability to report on their own intrusive thoughts supports this hypothesis. Results point to a funneling of intrusive thoughts toward negative content following a traumatic event and highlight the importance of considering children's level of understanding of the mind when investigating intrusive thoughts in young children.

KW - Adaptation, Psychological

KW - Arousal

KW - Attention

KW - Awareness

KW - Child

KW - Child, Preschool

KW - Cognition

KW - Culture

KW - Disasters

KW - Emotions

KW - Female

KW - Follow-Up Studies

KW - Humans

KW - Internal-External Control

KW - Interview, Psychological

KW - Male

KW - Mississippi

KW - Personality Assessment

KW - Repression, Psychology

KW - Socioeconomic Factors

KW - Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis

KW - Thinking

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SN - 1537-4416

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JO - Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology

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IS - 3

ER -

Unwanted intrusive thoughts and cognitive functioning in kindergarten and young elementary school-age children following Hurricane Katrina

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Keywords

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