Assessing children's states of mind: A multitrait, multimethod study.

Abstract

There is growing interest in assessing the positive and negative cognitions of children and adults alike. Much of this interest is attributable to the States of Mind (SOM) model, which relates the balance of positive and negative thoughts to psychological adjustment (R. M. Schwartz & G. L. Garamoni, 1986, 1989). However, the validity of a central assumption of the SOM model and several critical methodological and psychometric questions must be considered when applying the SOM model to children. In a sample of 34 7- to 10-year-olds, 35 1 1- to 14-year-olds, and 40 undergraduates, we used four assessment methods to examine the effects of age, measurement method, and self- versus other-reference on SOM ratios. Results indicated that SOM ratios significantly varied depending on measurement method and the self- versus other-reference condition. Age did not significantly influence SOM ratios, suggesting that the set point specified by the SOM model is applicable to children.