Although anxiety and depression are clearly distinct from a phenomenological perspective, discriminating these constructs empirically has often been difficult (Clark & Watson, 1991). Both the tripartite model of psychopathology (Clark & Watson, 1991) and the cognitive content-specificity hypothesis (Beck, 1976; Beck & Clark, 1988) were forwarded in an effort to help differentiate anxiety and depression. Each model posits that these forms of psychopathology are characterized by particular, distinctive features. The tripartite model focuses on the affective and physiological characteristics that differentiate anxiety and depression, whereas the cognitive content-specificity hypothesis (CSH) highlights distinctive patterns of cognitions that distinguish forms of psychopathology. Hypotheses derived from these theories are not mutually exclusive and may, instead, be complementary. Although both models have been supported by empirical work involving adult and adolescent/school-age populations, little is known about the applicability of these models to psychiatric symptomatology among preschool-age children. The present report 1) describes the development of a self-report measure of tripartite dimensions and a self-report measure of cognitive content, each designed to be administered to children as young as five years of age, and 2) evaluates support for hypotheses consistent with the tripartite and cognitive specificity models of psychopathology in this age group. In a sample of 383 community preschoolers, factor analysis of self-reported affect was consistent with a two factor structure reflecting positive and negative affect. Correlations between affective dimensions and parent-reported symptomatology were not significant and did not support a tripartite model. Factor analysis of endorsements of cognitive content indicated that the cognition scale as originally conceived could not be used to evaluate the CSH. The cognition scale was reconceptualized and reorganized to serve as a unitary scale of negative cognitions. Negative cognitions were significantly related to parent-report of externalizing problems.

Last modified

• 09/06/2018

Creator

• Jesse Klein Benjamin

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/N27J06

Subject

• Psychology

Keyword

• psychopathology
• tripartite
• Children
• cognitive

Date created

• 2008-05-02

Resource type

• Dissertation

Rights statement

• In Copyright