Psychometric properties of reaction time based experimental paradigms measuring anxiety-related information-processing biases in children

TY - JOUR

T1 - Psychometric properties of reaction time based experimental paradigms measuring anxiety-related information-processing biases in children

AU - Brown, H M

AU - Eley, T C

AU - Broeren, S

AU - Macleod, C

AU - Rinck, M

AU - Hadwin, J A

AU - Lester, K J

PY - 2014/1

Y1 - 2014/1

N2 - Theoretical frameworks highlight the importance of threat-related information-processing biases for understanding the emergence of anxiety in childhood. The psychometric properties of several tasks measuring these biases and their associations with anxiety were examined in an unselected sample of 9-year-old children (N=155). In each task, threat bias was assessed using bias scores reflecting task performance on threat versus non-threat conditions. Reliability was assessed using split-half and test-retest correlations of mean reaction times (RTs), accuracy and bias indices. Convergence between measures was also examined. Mean RTs showed substantial split-half and test-retest correlations. Bias score reliability coefficients were near zero and non-significant, suggesting poor reliability in children of this age. Additionally, associations between bias scores and anxiety were weak and inconsistent and performance between tasks showed little convergence. Bias scores from RT based paradigms in the current study lacked adequate psychometric properties for measuring individual differences in anxiety-related information-processing in children.

AB - Theoretical frameworks highlight the importance of threat-related information-processing biases for understanding the emergence of anxiety in childhood. The psychometric properties of several tasks measuring these biases and their associations with anxiety were examined in an unselected sample of 9-year-old children (N=155). In each task, threat bias was assessed using bias scores reflecting task performance on threat versus non-threat conditions. Reliability was assessed using split-half and test-retest correlations of mean reaction times (RTs), accuracy and bias indices. Convergence between measures was also examined. Mean RTs showed substantial split-half and test-retest correlations. Bias score reliability coefficients were near zero and non-significant, suggesting poor reliability in children of this age. Additionally, associations between bias scores and anxiety were weak and inconsistent and performance between tasks showed little convergence. Bias scores from RT based paradigms in the current study lacked adequate psychometric properties for measuring individual differences in anxiety-related information-processing in children.

KW - Anxiety

KW - Child

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Mental Processes

KW - Psychometrics

KW - Reaction Time

KW - Reproducibility of Results

U2 - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.11.004

DO - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.11.004

M3 - Article

C2 - 24486916

SN - 0887-6185

VL - 28

SP - 97

EP - 107

JO - Journal of Anxiety Disorders

JF - Journal of Anxiety Disorders

IS - 1

ER -