@ARTICLE{26583223_818902079_2023, author = {Natalia Kharlamenkova and Daria Nikitina and Ekaterina Dymova and Nadezhda Shatalova}, keywords = {, child stress, distress, eustress, direct and indirect assessment of stresschildren's ideas about a stressful situation}, title = {Self-Assessment and Indirect Assessment of Stress and Stressful Situation by Children Aged 8–12}, journal = {Psychology. Journal of Higher School of Economics}, year = {2023}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {151-167}, url = {https://psy-journal.hse.ru/en/2023-20-1/818902079.html}, publisher = {}, abstract = {The objective of this study was to identify the match value between self-assessment and indirect assessment of stress by children of primary school age. The participants of the study were 132 junior schoolchildren aged 8-12 years, studying in grades 3-4 in a school in the Moscow Region. Indirect evaluation was measured with the projective Etkind's Color Test of Relationships; two indicators were chosen: the first one was the child's assignment of a stressful situation as "pleasant" (high significance) or less pleasant (low significance); the second indicator was the child's assessment of stress as a positive or negative phenomenon. Self-assessment of stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale for Children, PSS-C. It was shown that at the age of 8-12 years, children are able to assess stress differently: negatively - as a distress, and positively - as an eustress. Depending on the degree of relevance of the stressful situation for the child and its negative indirect assessment, indicators of self-assessment of stress change. In children who perceived stress as a relevant situation and indirectly assessed it negatively, self-assessment of stress was high; if the stressful situation was indirectly assessed as positive, the self-assessment of stress was low. At the same time, positive assessment of stress can also be an indicator of a successful coping with it or attest to the psychological defenses that prevent the child from overcoming feelings of anxiety and stress.}, annote = {The objective of this study was to identify the match value between self-assessment and indirect assessment of stress by children of primary school age. The participants of the study were 132 junior schoolchildren aged 8-12 years, studying in grades 3-4 in a school in the Moscow Region. Indirect evaluation was measured with the projective Etkind's Color Test of Relationships; two indicators were chosen: the first one was the child's assignment of a stressful situation as "pleasant" (high significance) or less pleasant (low significance); the second indicator was the child's assessment of stress as a positive or negative phenomenon. Self-assessment of stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale for Children, PSS-C. It was shown that at the age of 8-12 years, children are able to assess stress differently: negatively - as a distress, and positively - as an eustress. Depending on the degree of relevance of the stressful situation for the child and its negative indirect assessment, indicators of self-assessment of stress change. In children who perceived stress as a relevant situation and indirectly assessed it negatively, self-assessment of stress was high; if the stressful situation was indirectly assessed as positive, the self-assessment of stress was low. At the same time, positive assessment of stress can also be an indicator of a successful coping with it or attest to the psychological defenses that prevent the child from overcoming feelings of anxiety and stress.} }