Description:
Based on a sample of 89 aggressive clinic-referred children, aged between 9 and 11 years, a longitudinal study of 1-year duration was conducted to examine (a) whether the children's perception of control and support of their mothers' to them predicted their hostile attribution of intent and hostile response selection, and (b) whether these hostile biased social cognitions mediated the relationships between their perceived maternal behaviours and their aggression. Participants completed a questionnaire covering both the perceived maternal control and support. One year later, their hostile attribution of intent and response selection, and aggression, were measured. Results showed that perceived maternal control and perceived maternal support were associated positively and negatively, respectively, with both the social cognition measures. Also, the social cognition measures mediated the relationships of the perceived maternal measures with aggression. The findings are discussed in terms of how children's hostile biased relational schemas and scripts, developed from negative parenting and insecure attachment, favour more hostile social cognitions, and how these in turn mediate children's current hostile biased social behaviours.
Description:
Confirmatory factor analysis was used to model a multitrait-multisource design to evaluate the construct validity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rating scales. The 2 trait factors were the ADHD inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity dimensions. The 2 source factors were parents and teachers. In Study 1, parents and teachers rated 1,475 Australian elementary school children on the ADHD symptoms. In Study 2, parents and teachers rated 285 Brazilian elementary school children on the ADHD symptoms. Similar results occurred in both studies with most of the ADHD symptoms containing more source than trait variance, thus providing weak evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the symptoms as measured by rating scales. The study outlines the implications of such strong source effects for understanding ADHD.
The association of avoidance coping style, and perceived mother and father support with anxiety/depression among late adolescents : Applicability of resiliency models
Description:
This study evaluated the effects of reward, punishment, and reward + punishment on the impulsive responses of ADHD children. The impulsive responses of ADHD and normal control boys (30 per group) were compared during performance of a go/no-go task, administered under reward-only, punishment-only, and reward + punishment conditions. When differences in aggression, anxiety, and IQ between these groups were controlled for, results indicated that the impulsivity levels of the ADHD group were higher than the control group in all three reinforcement conditions. Also, the ADHD group was more impulsive in the reward + punishment condition, compared to the reward-only and punishment-only conditions, and there was no difference between the reward-only and punishment-only conditions. The control groups showed no difference across the three reinforcement conditions. These findings raise the possibility that the poor response inhibition of ADHD children may be related to both a generalized inhibitory deficit and a response modulation deficit.
Description:
The current study examined the measurement and structural invariance of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) across ratings provided by older adult men (. n=. 573) and women (. n=. 605). Ratings were modeled in terms of the original four-factor oblique model: a simple structure with correlated factors for Depressed Affect, Positive Affect, Somatic Symptoms, and Interpersonal Difficulties. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis supported full measurement and structural invariance, and no sex difference for the four latent factors. These findings indicate good support for measurement and structural invariance of CES-D ratings across older adult men and women. The psychometric and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Description:
Background The study examined the measurement equivalence for teacher ratings across Malaysian Malay, Chinese and Indian children. Methods Malaysian teachers completed ratings of the ODD symptoms for 574 Malay, 247 Chinese and 98 Indian children. Results The results supported the equivalences for the configural, metric, and error variances models, and the equivalences for ODD latent variances and mean scores. Discussion Together, these findings suggest good support for measurement and structural equivalences of the ODD symptoms across these ethnic groups. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings for cross-cultural equivalence of the ODD symptoms are discussed.
Description:
Background The study examined the measurement equivalence for teacher ratings across Malaysian Malay, Chinese and Indian children. Methods Malaysian teachers completed ratings of the ODD symptoms for 574 Malay, 247 Chinese and 98 Indian children. Results The results supported the equivalences for the configural, metric, and error variances models, and the equivalences for ODD latent variances and mean scores. Discussion Together, these findings suggest good support for measurement and structural equivalences of the ODD symptoms across these ethnic groups. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings for cross-cultural equivalence of the ODD symptoms are discussed.