| Cognitive models of vulnerability have yet to integrate positive schemas into models of child psychopathology. This study presents the Positive Schema Questionnaire (PSQ) for youth, and evaluates relations of positive schema themes to depression, anxiety, and resilience. Adolescent boys (n =84) and girls (n=88), aged 9 to 14 (M =11.44), completed the PSQ, and measures of negative schemas, depression, anxiety, and resilience. Exploratory factor analyses of the PSQ supported a five-factor structure including themes of: Self-Efficacy, Optimism, Interpersonal Trust, Success, and Worthiness. The PSQ appears to be a promising tool, and predicted additional variance in depression, anxiety, and resilience, beyond negative schemas. Furthermore, the content specificity model as envisioned for negative schemas, was found to apply to positive schemas, with themes of Worthiness most predictive of depression and Self-Efficacy most predictive of anxiety and resilience. Findings have implications for incorporating positive schemas into cognitive models of psychopathology. |
