isspd_the hague_2007 extending the spectrum idea: child personality, parenting and psychopathology...
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ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Extending the Spectrum Idea: Child Personality, Parenting and Psychopathology
Karla Van Leeuwen, Ivan Mervielde, Barbara De Clercq, Filip De Fruyt
Ghent University, Belgium
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Introduction
Differences between normal and abnormal or clinical samples: qualitative or quantitative?
The spectrum hypothesis: a disorder is not a discrete taxon, but rather represents the extreme endpoints of a continuously-distributed dimension or cluster of dimensions (Shiner & Caspi, 2003; Widiger & Clark, 2000)
Emotionaly instable Emotionaly stable
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Structure, validity,and reliability
Moderation and Mediation
Differences in (a) the nature, and (b) the strength of the covariation among independent and dependent variables between referred and non-referred samples?
Differences in (a) the nature, and (b) the strength of moderating and mediating relationships between referred and non-referred samples?
Differences in psychometric properties of measures between referred and non-referred samples?
Differences in means between referred and non-referred samples?
Means
Covariation
Basic Research QuestionTarget
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Different levels for testing the spectrum hypothesis
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Method
Mothers & children clinically referred sample: children in
psychological or psychiatric treatment non-referred sample: randomly selected Follow-up: 2- to 3-year interval
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Subjects
Non-referred Clinically referred
Time 1 Time 2 Time 1 Time 2
Boys 276 218 118 69
Girls 320 255 87 45
Total 596 473 205 114
AgeMSD
7-1510.9 1.9
10-1813.9 1.8
5-14 9.91.9
7-1611.99 1.9
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Measures
Parenting: Ghent Parental Behavior Scale (GPBS; Van Leeuwen & Vermulst, 2004) positive parenting and negative control
Child Personality: The Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children (HiPIC; Mervielde & De Fruyt, 1999) extraversion, benevolence, conscientiousness,
emotional stability and imagination Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL;
Verhulst, Van der Ende, & Koot, 1996) internalizing and externalizing problem behavior
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Analyses
ANOVA: differences in means Hierarchical multiple regression analyses
Step 1: control variables: gender & age Step 2: independent effects: group, 1
personality variable & 1 parenting variable Step 3: 2-way interactions: group x
personality, group x parenting, personality x group
Step 4: 3-way interaction: group x personality x parenting
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Results: level 1
Significant mean differences between the referred and non-referred group at T1 & T2:
Problem behavior: referred children are rated higher on Internalizing and Externalizing behavior
Personality: referred children are rated lower on agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion and imagination
Parenting: mothers of referred children report higher negative control and lower positive parental behavior
supports the classical spectrum hypothesis
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Results: level 3
Group by Personality interactions Personality predicts child problem behavior at
T1 & T2, showing some differences in the strength of the relationships for referred and non-referred groups, but not in the kind of relationship.
supports largely the extended version of the spectrum hypothesis
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Benevolence by Group predicting Externalizing behavior
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
SD 1- mean SD 1+
Benevolence
Ext
ern
aliz
ing
referred
non-referred******
*** p < .001
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Emotional Stability by Group predicting Internalizing behavior
-1,00
-0,50
0,00
0,50
1,00
SD 1- mean SD 1+
Emotional stability
Inte
rnal
izin
g
referred
non-referred******
*** p < .001
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Group by Parenting interactions Negative control: stronger relationships for the
referred group at T1 & T2 Positive parenting: different patterns across
groups and time
partly supports the extended version of the spectrum hypothesis
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Negative control by Group predicting Externalizing behavior
0,00
0,50
1,00
1,50
SD 1- mean SD 1+
Negative control
Ext
ern
aliz
ing
referred
non-referred******
*** p < .001
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Positive parenting by Group predicting Internalizing behavior
-1,00
-0,50
0,00
0,50
1,00
SD 1- mean SD 1+
Positive parenting
Inte
rnal
izin
g
referred
non-referred **(*)
*** p < .001; ** p < .01
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Results: level 4
Parenting x Personality interactions total group (referred + non-referred children)4 interactions at T1 & T2
• Benevolence x Negative control• Benevolence x Positive parenting• Conscientiousness x Negative control
Externalizing behavior
• Emotional stability x Positive parenting Internalizing behavior
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Benevolence (BE) by Negative control predicting Externalizing behavior
-1,00
-0,50
0,00
0,50
1,00
1SD- Mean 1SD+
Negative control
Ext
ern
aliz
ing
1SD- BE
Mean BE
1SD+ BE
******
*** p < .001
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Group x personality x parenting interactions Time 1: Three out of twenty 3-way interactions
are significant, but when a Bonferroni correction is applied, none of the interactions remain significant
Time 2: no significant 3-way interactions
similar personality-parenting interactions are associated with problem behavior in both the referred and non-referred group
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Discussion
The results largely corroborate the spectrum hypothesis implying that differences between the two types of samples can be conceived as quantitative rather than qualitative.
By focussing only on the most appropriate categorical diagnosis, clinicians ignore important ‘conditions’ for psychopathology or the ‘broader perspective’.
Both parenting and personality should be taken into account in the assessment and the selection of an appropriate treatment for children’s externalizing and internalizing behavior.
ISSPD_The Hague_2007
Reference
Van Leeuwen, K. G., Mervielde, I., De Clercq, B. J., & De Fruyt, F. (2007). Extending the Spectrum Idea: Child Personality, Parenting and Psychopathology. European Journal of Personality, 21, 63-89.