Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T13:26:34.820Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Self-Talk and Affective Problems in College Students: Valence of Thinking and Cognitive Content Specificity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Esther Calvete ,
Ana Estévez ,
Covadonga Landín ,
Yolanda Martínez ,
Olga Cardeñoso ,
Lourdes Villardón  and
Aurelio Villa
Esther Calvete*
Affiliation:
University of Deusto
Ana Estévez
Affiliation:
University of Deusto
Covadonga Landín
Affiliation:
University of Deusto
Yolanda Martínez
Affiliation:
University of Deusto
Olga Cardeñoso
Affiliation:
University of Deusto
Lourdes Villardón
Affiliation:
University of Deusto
Aurelio Villa
Affiliation:
University of Deusto
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Esther Calvete, Department of Psychology, University of Deusto, Apdo. 1, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a Self-Talk Inventory for young adults. This inventory consisted of two scales. The Negative Self-Talk Scale included three categories of selftalk (depressive, anxious, and angry thoughts) and the Positive Self-Talk Scale, three categories (minimization, positive orientation, and coping self-instructions). Participants were 982 undergraduate students (Mean age = 20.35 years, SD = 2.16). They completed the self-talk scales together with the following scales to measure symptoms of affective disorders: the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-T). Factor analyses confirmed the hypothesized structure for the Self-Talk Inventory. The relations between self-talk and symptoms of affective disorders (depression, anxiety, and anger) were also evaluated. In general, states-of-mind –SOM– ratios and negative cognitions showed a greater association with psychological symptoms than did positive cognitions. Results concerning the cognitive characteristics of depression, anxiety, and anger were mixed and partially supported the cognitive content specificity theory.

El objetivo de este estudio fue el desarrollo de un inventario de autodiálogo para jóvenes adultos. Este inventario consistió en dos escalas. La Escala de Autodiálogo Negativo incluyó tres categorías de autodiálogo (pensamiento depresivo, ansioso, y relacionado con la ira) y la Escala de Autodiálogo Positivo otras tres (minimización, afecto positivo y autoinstrucciones de afrontamiento). Los participantes fueron 982 estudiantes (Edad Media = 20.35 años, DT = 2.16). Completaron las escalas de Autodiálogo junto con la Escala de Depresión del Centro para Estudios Epidemiológicos (CES-D), el Inventario Estado-Rasgo de Ansiedad (STAI) y el Inventario de Expresión de la Ira Estado-Rasgo (STAXI-T). Los análisis factoriales confirmaron la estructura hipotética del inventario de Autodiálogo. La relación entre autodiálogo y síntomas de trastornos afectivos (depresión, ansiedad e ira) también se evaluó. En general, la ratio de los Estados de la Mente – SOM – y las cogniciones negativas mostraron una mayor asociación con los síntomas psicológicos que las cogniciones positivas. Se obtuvieron resultados mixtos acerca de las características cognitivas de la depresión, ansiedad e ira y estos apoyaron parcialmente la teoría de la especificidad del contenido cognitivo.

Keywords

self-talkSOM ratioscognitive specificitydepressionanxietyangerautodiálogoSOM ratiosespecificidad cognitivadepresiónansiedadira
Type
Articles
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , May 2005 , pp. 56 - 67
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amsel, R., & Fichten, C. (1998). Recommendations for selfstatements inventories: Use of valence, end points, frequency, and relative frequency. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 22, 255–277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, A.T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. Madison, WI: International Universities Press.Google Scholar
Beck, A.T., Brown, G., Steer, R.A., Eidelson, J.T., & Riskind, J.H. (1987). Differentiating anxiety and depression: A test of the cognitive content-specificity hypothesis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 96, 179–183.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boyd, J.H., Weissman, M.M., Thompson, D., & Myers, J.K. (1982). Screening for depression in a community sample. Archives of General Psychiatry, 39, 1195–1200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgess, E., & Haaga, D.A.F. (1994). The Positive Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire- Revised: Equivalent measures of positive thinking? Cognitive Therapy and Research, 18, 15–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burnett, P.C. (1996). Children's self-talk and significant others' positive and negative statements. Educational Psychology, 16, 57–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burns, D.D., & Eidelson, R.J. (1998). Why are depression and anxiety correlated? A test of the tripartite model. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 461–473.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Byrne, B. (1998). Structural equation modeling with LISREL, PRELIS, and SIMPLIS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Cacioppo, J.T., Hippel, W., & Ernst, J.M. (1997). Mapping cognitive structures and processes through verbal content: The thoughtlisting technique. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 928–940.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calvete, E., & Cardeñoso, O. (1999). Creencias y síntomas depresivos: Resultados preliminares en el desarrollo de una escala de creencias irracionales abreviada. Anales de Psicología, 15, 179–190.Google Scholar
Calvete, E., & Cardeñoso, O. (2002). Self-talk in adolescents: Dimensions, States of Mind, and psychological maladjustment. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26, 473–485.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calvete, E., & Connor-Smith, J. (2005). Automatic thoughts and psychological symptoms: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of American and Spanish students. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 29, 201–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, D.A., Beck, A.T., & Brown, G. (1989). Cognitive mediation in general psychiatric outpatients: A test of the contentspecificity hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, 958–964.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, D.A., Beck, A.T., & Steward, B. (1990). Cognitive specificity and positive-negative affectivity: Complementary or contradictory views on anxiety and depression? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99, 148–155.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, D.A., Steer, R.A., & Beck, A.T. (1994). Common and specific dimensions of self-reported anxiety and depression: Implications for the cognitive and tripartite models. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 645–654.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, L.A., & Watson, D. (1991). Tripartite model of anxiety and depression: Psychometric evidence and taxonomic implications. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 316–336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.) Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Dodge, K.A., & Crick, N.R. (1990). Social information processing bases of aggressive behavior in children. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 16, 8–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edens, J.F., Cavell, T.A., & Hughes, J.N. (1999). The self-systems of aggressive children: A cluster-analytic investigation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40, 441–453.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glass, C.R., & Arnkoff, D.B. (1997). Questionnaire methods of cognitive self-statement assessment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 911–927.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haaga, D.A.F. (1997). Introduction to the special section on measuring cognitive products in research and practice. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 907–910.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoyle, R.H., & Panter, A.T. (1995). Writing about structural equation models. In Hoyle, R.H. (Ed.), Structural equation modeling. Concepts, issues, and applications. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Hu, L. & Bentler, P.M. (1998). Fit indices in covariance structure modeling: Sensitivity to underparameterized model misspecification. Psychological Methods, 3, 424–453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ingram, R.E., Kendall, P.C., Siegle, G., Guarino, J., & McLaughlin, S.C. (1995). Psychometric properties of the Positive Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire. Psychological Assessment, 7, 495–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ingram, R.E., Kendall, P.C., Smith, T.W., Donnell, C., & Ronan, K. (1987). Cognitive specificity in emotional distress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 734–742.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jolly, J.B., & Kramer, T.A. (1994). The hierarchical arrangement of internalizing cognitions. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 18, 1–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jolly, J.B., & Wiesner, D.C. (1996). Psychometric properties of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Positive with inpatient adolescents. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 20, 481–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jöreskog, K.G., & Sörbom, D. (2001). LISREL8 user's reference guide (2nd ed.). Lincolnwood, IL: Scientific Software International.Google Scholar
Kendall, P.C. (1984). Behavioral assessment and methodology. In Wilson, G.T., Franks, C.M., Brownell, K.D., & Kendall, P.C. (Eds.), Annual review of behavior therapy: Theory and practice (Vol. 9, pp. 39–94). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Kendall, P.C., & Chansky, T.E. (1991). Considering cognition in anxiety-disordered children. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 5, 167–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kendall, P.C. & Hollon, S.D. (1989). Anxious self-talk: Development of the Anxious Self-Statements Questionnaire (ASSQ). Cognitive Therapy and Research, 4, 383–395.Google Scholar
Kendall, P.C., Howard, B.L., & Hays, R.C. (1989). Self-referent speech and psychopathology: The balance of positive and negative thinking. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 13, 583–598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lerner, J., Safren, S.A., Henin, A., Warman, M., Heimberg, R.G., & Kendall, P.C. (1999). Differentiation of anxious and depressive self-statements in youth: Factor structure of the Negative Affect Self-Statement Questionnaire among youth referred to an anxiety disorders clinic. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 28, 82–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lochman, J.E., & Dodge, K.A. (1994). Social-cognitive processes of severely violent, moderately aggressive, and nonaggressive boys. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 366–374.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacCallum, R. & Hong, S. (1997). Power analysis in covariance structure modeling using GFI and AGFI. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 32, 193–210.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McDermut, W., & Haaga, D.A.F. (1994). Cognitive balance and specificity in anxiety and depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 18, 333–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McPherson, L., & Lakey, B. (1993). Content overlap inflates the relation between negative cognition and dysphoria. Journal of Personality Assessment, 60(2), 411–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prins, P.J., & Hanewald, G.J.F.P. (1997). Self-statements of testanxious children: Thought-listing and questionnaire approaches. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 440–447.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Radloff, L.S. (1977). The CES-D Scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ronan, K.R., & Kendall, P.C. (1997). Self-talk in distressed youth: States-of-mind and content specificity. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 4, 330–337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ronan, K.R., Kendall, P.C., & Rowe, M. (1994). Negative affectivity in children: Development and validation of a selfstatement questionnaire. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 18, 509–528.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Safren, S.A., Heimberg, R.G., Lerner, A.H., Warman, M., & Kendall, P.C. (2000). Differentiating anxious and depressive self-statements: Combined factor structure of the Anxious Self-Statements Questionnaire and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24, 327–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwartz, R.M. (1997). Consider the simple screw: Cognitive science, quality improvement, and psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 970–983.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schwartz, R. M., & Garamoni, G.L. (1986). A structural model of positive and negative states of mind: Asymmetry in the internal dialogue. In Kendall, P.C. (Ed.), Advances in cognitivebehavioral research and therapy (Vol. 5, pp. 1–62). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Schwartz, R.M., & Garamoni, G.L. (1989). Cognitive balance and psychopathology: Evaluation of an information processing model of positive and negative states of mind. Clinical Psychology Review, 9, 271–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spielberger, C.D., Gorsuch, R.I., & Lushene, R.E. (1988). STAI. Cuestionario de Ansiedad Estado-Rasgo: Manual. Madrid: TEA.Google Scholar
Spielberger, C.D., Miguel-Tobal, J.J., Casado, M.I., & Cano-Vindel, A. (2000). Inventario de Expresión de Ira Estado-Rasgo–STAXI. Madrid: TEA.Google Scholar
Steer, R.A., Clark, D.A., Beck, A.T., & Ranieri, W.F. (1995). Common and specific dimensions of self-reported anxiety and depression: A replication. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104, 542–545.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Treadwell, K.R.H., & Kendall, P.C. (1996). Self-talk in youth with anxiety disorders: States of mind, content specificity, and treatment outcome. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 941–950.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed