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Age, Gender, and Perceived Control of Anxiety as Correlates of Metacognitive Beliefs, Worry, and GAD in Children and Adolescents

Allred, Clayton Houston

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Science, University of Toledo, Psychology - Clinical.
Meta-cognitive beliefs about worry in children and adolescents has been shown to be related to concurrently reported worry and anxiety (Esbjorn et al, 2015). However, despite multiple studies now examining the psychometric properties of the Metacognitions Questionnaire for Children-30-Item Version (MCQ-C30) amongst youth, age and gender differences across the individual subscales comprising the MCQ-C30 have not yet been systematically examined as correlates predicting worry and anxiety. This study hypothesized that, Negative Beliefs about Worry would be most highly correlated with worry, girls would score higher on meta-worry than boys, and meta-worry would increase with age. Lastly, as per the current literature on child worry, anxiety, and meta-worry, an additional variable hypothesized to be related to all three was that of Perceived Control of Anxiety, and in particular the perceived control over internal anxiety reactions, as assessed by the Internal Reactions scale of the Anxiety Control Questionnaire for Children (ACQ-C; Weems, Silverman, Rapee, & Pina, 2003). This study was exploratory in nature by seeing if mediation or moderation best explained how Perceived Control of Anxiety functioned in the relationship between meta-worry and both nosological (PSWQ-C) and pathological worry (RCADS GAD) in children and adolescents. Findings indicated that Negative Beliefs about Worry was the subscale most highly correlated with nosological worry. While there were no gender differences on meta-worry, meta-worry did increase with age beginning around age 11. Lastly, Perceived Control of Anxiety failed to significantly mediate the relationship between meta-worry and nosological and pathological worry; however, Internal Reactions significantly moderated the relationship between meta-worry and nosological worry. Both Perceived Control of Anxiety and Internal Reactions moderated the relationship between meta-worry and pathological worry.
Sarah Francis (Committee Chair)
Kamala Newton (Committee Member)
Peter Mezo (Committee Member)
92 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Allred, C. H. (2019). Age, Gender, and Perceived Control of Anxiety as Correlates of Metacognitive Beliefs, Worry, and GAD in Children and Adolescents [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1556896524578207

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Allred, Clayton. Age, Gender, and Perceived Control of Anxiety as Correlates of Metacognitive Beliefs, Worry, and GAD in Children and Adolescents. 2019. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1556896524578207.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Allred, Clayton. "Age, Gender, and Perceived Control of Anxiety as Correlates of Metacognitive Beliefs, Worry, and GAD in Children and Adolescents." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1556896524578207

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)