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    Distorted Cognitive Processing in Youth: The Structure of Negative Cognitive Errors and Their Associations with Anxiety

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    The Childrenā€™s Negative Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CNCEQ) is commonly used to measure four errors in young peopleā€™s thinking, but research has failed to support the factorial validity of the measure. The primary objective of the present study was to examine the factor structure of a refined and extended version of the CNCEQ. Revision of the CNCEQ involved the exclusion of items rated as contaminated, and the addition of items measuring cognitive errors closely associated with anxiety (ā€˜threat conclusionā€™ and ā€˜underestimation of the ability to copeā€™). A secondary objective was to determine the relation between the negative cognitive errors and anxiety. Principal component analysis of data from 481 children and adolescents indicated five distinct negative cognitive error subscales labeled ā€˜underestimation of the ability to copeā€™, ā€˜personalizing without mind readingā€™, ā€˜selective abstractionā€™, ā€˜overgeneralizingā€™, and ā€˜mind readingā€™ which contained the new ā€˜threat conclusionā€™ items. Confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample of 295 children and adolescents yielded further support for the five-factor solution. All cognitive errors except ā€˜selective abstractionā€™ were correlated with anxiety. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the strongest predictors of anxiety were the two subscales containing new items, namely ā€˜underestimation of the ability to copeā€™ and ā€˜mind readingā€™. The results are discussed with respect to further development of the instrument so as to advance the assessment of distorted cognitive processing in young people with internalizing symptoms
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