Effortful Control as a Moderator of Reactive Temperamental Risk for Anxiety and Depression: A Short-Term Prospective Study
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Date
2008-06
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine prospectively a model of risk for anxiety and depression based on reactive and effortful aspects of temperament. Negative affectivity (NA), positive affectivity (PA), attentional control (AC), and anxious and depressive symptoms of 210 participants were monitored at 3 points across an 8-week period. Specifically, Time 1 (T1) AC was predicted to significantly moderate the association of T1 NA with Time 3 (T3) anxious and depressive symptoms when controlling for such symptoms at T1. Additionally T1 AC was predicted to significantly moderate the association of PA with T3 depressive symptoms when controlling for such symptoms at T1. Contrary to predictions, an NA X AC interaction was not found for anxious symptoms. T1 NA was a significant predictor of T3 anxiety regardless of level of AC. Results for depression were more consistent with expectations. However, rather than NA X AC and PA X AC interactions, results revealed a significant NA X PA X AC interaction. Examination of this interaction revealed that AC only significantly moderated the association between NA and depression when PA was high. At lower levels of PA, AC did not moderate the risk for depression associated with heightened NA. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
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Keywords
Effortful control, Attentional control, Temperament, Negative affectivity, Positive affectivity, Anxiety and Depression