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Links Between Depressive Symptoms and Reactive and Effortful Temperament Mediated by Behavioral Activation

Buffington, Adam G.

Abstract Details

2012, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
The present study explored the association of depressive symptoms with reactive and effortful temperament as well as behavioral activation (BA) in undergraduate students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses found that items of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire Activation Control subscale (Evans & Rothbart, 2007; Rothbart, Ahadi, & Evans, 2000) and Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS; Kanter, Mulick, Busch, Berlin, & Martell, 2007; Kanter, Rusch, Busch, & Sedivy, 2009) loaded on different factors, suggesting theses measures of activation control and BA adequately assessed the distinction between these constructs. However, the results also showed strong interfactor correlations between the Activation Control factor and BADS subscale factors confirming that, though distinct, activation control and BA are closely related. Tests of simple mediation in both cross-sectional and prospective samples showed that the association between low positive emotionality (PE) and depressive symptoms was mediated by BA as was the association between negative emotionality (NE) and symptoms. BA also mediated the link between activation control and depressive symptoms in both samples. A proposed model of moderated mediation in which activation control moderated the indirect path from PE to BA to depressive symptoms was not supported. Specifically, activation control was expected to moderate the association between PE and BA. Instead, the association between PE and BA was consistent across all levels of activation control. An inspection of items of different measures of PE revealed important differences in coverage of goal-oriented behavior. Finally, the results provided evidence of an interaction between NE and PE predicting BA such that high levels of PE were protective against low BA associated with high NE.
Michael Vasey, PhD (Advisor)
Daniel Strunk, PhD (Committee Member)
Jennifer Cheavens, PhD (Committee Member)
124 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Buffington, A. G. (2012). Links Between Depressive Symptoms and Reactive and Effortful Temperament Mediated by Behavioral Activation [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1335626338

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Buffington, Adam. Links Between Depressive Symptoms and Reactive and Effortful Temperament Mediated by Behavioral Activation. 2012. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1335626338.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Buffington, Adam. "Links Between Depressive Symptoms and Reactive and Effortful Temperament Mediated by Behavioral Activation." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1335626338

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)