Date of Award

1998

Publication Type

Doctoral Thesis

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Psychology, Clinical.

Supervisor

Voelkes, S.,

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

The present study examined social information processing patterns in trait and socially anxious children using Dodge's Social Information Processing model (Dodge, 1986; Crick & Dodge, 1994). Based upon the current research (e.g., Bell-Dolan, 1995) and cognitive theories of anxiety (e.g., Beck, 1986), it was hypothesized that children reporting high levels of trait or social anxiety would demonstrate maladaptive social information processing patterns. Specifically, it was expected that anxious children, compared with non-anxious children, would focus more on hostile cues, make more negative attributions, and endorse more passive behaviours. Several levels of Dodge's model were considered including cue encoding, cue interpretation, response generation, and response evaluation. Children (N = 148; 9 to 12 years of age) were given the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC; Spielberger, 1973), Social Phobia Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAT-C; Beidel, Turner, & Morris, 1995), and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 1992) to assess their level of trait anxiety, social anxiety, and depression, respectively. The participants were also shown videotaped vignettes depicting peer entry situations, with the peer behaviour varying as hostile, non-hostile, or ambiguous. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with and without first removing the effects of depression. The results provided support for overall maladaptive social processing patterns in children who report higher levels of social or trait anxiety.Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1998 .B84. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 61-09, Section: B, page: 4973. Adviser: S. Voelkes. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1998.

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