Positive and Negative Affectivity in Children: A Multitrait-Multimethod Investigation

Abstract

Examined the validity of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression and its internal structure in children. Measures of positive affect/surgency (PA/S) and negative affect/neuroticism (NA/N) and self-report and peer nominations of symptoms of depression and anxiety were completed by 104 children (mean age = 14.9 years, SD = 1.9). Parents completed measures of temperament and anxious and depressive symptoms. Multitrait-multimethod and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) supported a 3-factor model that included separate Child and Parent NA/N factors and a joint PA/S factor. Child and Parent NA/N were related to symptoms of both depression and anxiety, but neither parent nor peer symptom ratings related to Child NA/N. PA/S was primarily related to symptoms of depression. These results support aspects of the tripartite model in children and suggest caution in the use of multimethod assessment of children's temperament and internalizing symptoms.

Teacher support mediates concurrent and longitudinal associations between temperament and mild depressive symptoms in sixth grade

“…Empirical studies show that emotionality (or emotional reactivity) is related to depressive symptoms, such that higher levels of negative emotionality predict more anxiety and depression (Anthony, Lonigan, Hooe, & Phillips, 2002;Phillips, Lonigan, Driscoll, & Hooe, 2002). Children with high negative emotional reactivity in first grade (approximately 6-7 years) had increasingly or consistently high levels of depression in early to middle adolescence (approximately 11-14 years; Brendgen, Wanner, Morin, & Vitaro, 2005).…”

Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Early Adolescence: A Multitrait-Multimethod Factor Analytic Approach

“…Cole et al [3] showed evidence of differentiation between depression and anxiety among sixth graders, but not among third graders, and reported poor construct validity, especially among the youngest children. Phillips et al [17] found that only self-reports of symptoms of anxiety and depression, and not parent-or peerreports, were related to self-reported negative affectivity in fifth through twelfth grade children. The authors stressed the need for parallel self-and parent-report measures to allow comparability of different reports.…”

“…The focus on the tripartite model in childhood and adolescence [12] has influenced the development of measures of positive and negative affectivity, such as the PANAS-C [17]. An important question is thus the extent to which the underlying disposition of negative affectivity influences the validity of depression and anxiety measures, and whether anxiety and depression should be assessed as separate traits.…”

An Evaluation of the Applicability of the Tripartite Constructs to Social Anxiety in Adolescents

“…More recent research has supported the utility of all three constructs in children and adolescents in clinical (Joiner, Catanzaro, & Laurent, 1996;Joiner & Lonigan, 2000;Lonigan, Carey, & Finch, 1994) and nonclinical (Cannon & Weems, 2006;Olino, Klein, Lewinsohn, Rohde, & Seeley, 2007;Phillips, Lonigan, Driscoll, & Hooe, 2002) settings.…”