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Poster #204 - Effortful Control, Interpretation Biases, and Child Anxiety Symptom Severity in a Sample of Children with Anxiety Disorders

Fri, March 22, 12:45 to 2:00pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

Introduction: Research has found that temperamental self-regulatory capabilities (i.e., effortful control—the ability to utilize executive functions to inhibit an impulsive reaction in favor of a response that better aligns with one’s long-term goals [Lonigan & Vasey, 2009])—are negatively related to child anxiety severity. One potential explanation for this finding is that greater effortful control may “slow down” the emergence of automatic, threat-laden interpretations that so often characterize anxious children, thereby lowering their anxiety. The present study tested this proposition by examining associations between effortful control (and its subcomponents: inhibitory control and attentional control) and anxiety symptom severity, by way of interpretation biases, in a diverse sample of clinically anxious youth. Method: Participants (N = 105; Mage = 10.09 years, SD = 1.22; 56.7% female; 49% ethnic minority) completed a diagnostic interview (MINI Kid; Sheehan et al., 1998) and a test battery that included the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS; Birmaher et al. 1997), the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire- Revised (EATQ-R; Ellis & Rothbart, 2001) and the Children’s Negative Cognitive Errors Questionnaire (CNCEQ; Leitenberg et al., 1986). Additionally, children completed a computer-based assessment of interpretation biases and a parent-child interaction task. Results: Using Hayes’ (2012) PROCESS mediation modeling, the overall model was significant, F (2,102) = 54.85, p < .0001, and explained 51.8% of the variance in anxiety symptom severity. The indirect effect of effortful control (EATQ-R) via interpretation biases (CNCEQ) in relation to anxiety symptoms (RCADS) was also significant, B = -8.64, SE = 2.15, 95% CI [-13.58, -4.83]; ∆R2Mediation = .21. Alternative models predicting behaviorally-indexed anxiety revealed a mediated effect of attentional control on anxiety symptom severity through interpretation biases measured by either self-report (B = -.14, SE = .07, 95% CI [-.31, -.03]) or the computer-based task (B = -.14, SE = .07, 95% CI [-.30, -.03]). Discussion: Findings suggest significant indirect effects of effortful control on anxiety symptom severity by way of interpretation biases. Moreover, the attentional control component of effortful control may be particularly relevant in these associations. Improving effortful control—and the ability to selectively shift attention toward positive aspects of a situation—may provide one avenue through which to decrease automatic, threat-laden cognitions in children with anxiety disorders, which may ultimately help to reduce their anxiety.

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