TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ………………………………………………………………….. vi
LIST OF TABLES …………………………………………………………………………….. ix
LIST OF FIGURES …………………………………………………………………………… xv
CHAPTER
1. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE ………………………………. 1
Preschool-Age Children’s Exposure
and Reactions to PTEs ……………………………………………… 1
Social Competence……………………………………………………….. 3
Emotional Adjustment ………………………………………………….. 5
Parent Affective Symptoms as a Moderator
of Exposure to PTEs and Emotional Adjustment …………. 6
Specific Aims and Conceptual Models ……………………………. 9
2. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS ………………………………. 12
Participants …………………………………………………………………. 12
Procedures ………………………………………………………………….. 14
Assessments ……………………………………………………………….. 15
Data Procedures ………………………………………………………….. 21
3. RESULTS ………………………………………………………………………… 24
Rates of Exposure to Potentially Traumatic
Events (PTEs) ………………………………………………………… 24
Relations Among Variables of Interest ……………………………. 27
Tests of Specific Aim 1: PTE Exposure, Emotional
Adjustment, and Social Competence …………………………. 31
Tests of Specific Aim 2: PTE Exposure and Emotional
Adjustment Moderated by Parent Affective Symptoms .. 41
Tests of Specific Aim 3: PTE Exposure and Social
Competence, Moderated by Emotional Adjustment …….. 51
Tests of Specific Aim 4: Exploring Potential Moderating
Effect of Child Gender on PTE Exposure, Emotional
Adjustment, and Social Competence …………………………. 77
4. DISCUSSION …………………………………………………………………….. 79
Strengths and Limitations ……………………………………………… 83
Future Directions …………………………………………………………. 84
APPENDIX
A. TRAUMATIC EVENTS SCREENING INVENTORY –
PARENT REPORT REVISED (TESI-PRR)….……………. 87
REFERENCES…………………………………………………………….. 90