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Effortful control in early adolescence: measure development and validation

Ho, Anya C.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1084736869

Abstract Details

2004, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
Effortful Control (EC) represents a general self-regulatory capacity that moderates the risk for the development of psychopathology in children, through effortful regulation of reactive types of regulatory responses (e.g. Negative Affectivity and Positive Affectivity) in individuals. EC reflects a unique temperamental dimension that involves attentional control and behavioral regulation. Existing measures of EC have been plagued by inconsistencies in EC’s conceptualization, and few measures have been developed for older children. For Study 1, data from 222 children (age 11-15), using their responses to the Effortful Control Scale and Attentional Control Scale, were factor analyzed to develop a new self-report measure of EC and Impulsivity for older children. Exploratory factor analyses resulted in a four-factor solution corresponding to the dimensions of Persistence, Attentional Focusing, Attentional Shifting, and Impulsivity, similar to the factor structure and dimensions that have been established in previous research. Study 2 examined the reliability and validity of the new Revised EC Scale. Responses from the Revised EC Scale, TPANAS, and the Modified YSR were collected from 84 children (ages 11-14) in the Columbus, Ohio area. A confirmatory factor analysis of the Revised EC Scale indicated that the factor structure adequately fit the hypothesized factor structure obtained from Study 1. Although the Persistence, Attentional Focusing, and Impulsivity dimensions possessed adequate to high levels of reliability and stability, psychometric data obtained for the Attentional Shifting factor was poor. EC’s divergent validity from Impulsivity was demonstrated through the constructs’ differential relationships to indices of internalizing and externalizing problems. The moderating influence of some of the EC factors on levels of NA, but not PA, to decrease the risk for internalizing and externalizing problems, was partly supported. Some of the EC factors’ were also demonstrated to moderate NA x PA, providing additional support for EC’s moderating effect. Unexpectedly, for a subset of children with high levels of reactivity, high levels of EC did not serve to decrease the risk for internalizing and externalizing problems, but rather functioned to maintain or increase their risk. However, measurement issues and small sample size may have influenced the accuracy of the results obtained from the study.
Michael Vasey (Advisor)
Steve Beck (Other)
Herbert Mirels (Other)
201 p.
Psychology, Clinical
Effortful Control; Impulsivity; Measure Development

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ho, A. C. (2004). Effortful control in early adolescence: measure development and validation [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1084736869

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ho, Anya. Effortful control in early adolescence: measure development and validation. 2004. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1084736869.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ho, Anya. "Effortful control in early adolescence: measure development and validation." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1084736869

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.