Theory and research on the development and maintenance of depression have emphasized both cognitive and interpersonal processes. One potential integration of interpersonal and cognitive models of depression is offered by symbolic interactionism, which argues that the self-concept is derived from our perception of how significant others view us. Applied to depression this perspective suggests that the depressed person's negative self-concept may be partly a reflection of significant others' negative interpersonal reactions to them. This study examined this integration by assessing how parents of children differing on level of depression and self-esteem view their children, and how they react emotionally to their children's failures and successes. Parents of fourth through seventh grade children (N=113) differing on depression level and self-esteem, rated their child's traits and reported how they would react emotionally to their child's failures and successes. Depression and lower self-esteem were associated with more negative trait ratings. More negative trait ratings were associated with more negative affective reactions to the child's (hypothetical) successes and failures, which reflected differential attributions about the child's successes and failures. Contains 10 references. (BF)