Grist, Rebecca M and Field, Andy P (2012) The mediating effect of cognitive development on children's worry elaboration. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 43 (2). pp. 801-807. ISSN 1873-7943

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Abstract

The present study investigated how developmentally determined cognitive mechanisms, holding theoretical links to the worry process, mediate the relationship between Age and Worry Elaboration in children. Sixty-four children aged 3–7 (M = 5.58, SD = 1.28) were presented with a Conservation of Liquid task assessing their Cognitive Development (specifically Concrete Operational Skills), a false-belief task to measure possession of Belief–Desire Theory of Mind, and a task measuring the ability to acknowledge multiple possibilities. The ability to elaborate on potential negative outcomes was assessed using a Worry Elaboration task. Mediation analysis revealed that all three variables significantly mediated the relationship between Age and Worry Elaboration. A multiple mediation model is presented in which Concrete Operational Skills, Belief–Desire Theory of Mind and Multiple Possibilities understanding mediate the relationship between Age and Worry Elaboration.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Psychology > Psychology
Subjects:	Q Science > QZ Psychology
Depositing User:	Andy Field
Date Deposited:	08 Nov 2012 16:02
Last Modified:	13 Mar 2017 12:28
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/41472

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