Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance of a Brief Form of the Young Schema Questionnaire for Adolescents

Laura Santos,Daniel Rijo,Paula Vagos

doi:10.1007/s10826-018-1050-3

Laura Santos, Daniel Rijo + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1050-3

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Abstract

The current work aims to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Brief form of the Young Schema Questionnaire for Adolescents (B-YSQ-A), so that Early Maladaptive Schemas can be accurately measured in younger populations. Early Maladaptive Schemas are self-defeating core themes underlying maladaptive cognition, affect, and behavior. A community sample of 877 adolescents, aged 12–18 years old, filled out self-report instruments on maladaptive schemas, anger management, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The items composing the B-YSQ-A were selected based on statistical and content analyses criteria. Its internal structure, reliability, age- and gender-based invariance, and between-gender mean differences were examined, as well as its relationship with external variables. Results indicated a satisfying fit for the 18 original schema factors through confirmatory factor analysis. These schemas also showed adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability, with the exception of the entitlement/grandiosity and self-sacrifice schemas. The B-YSQ-A was found to be age and gender invariant. Concerning gender differences, boys scored higher on the entitlement/grandiosity, insufficient self-control/discipline, approval/recognition seeking, unrelenting standards/hyper-criticalness and punitiveness schemas, whereas girls scored higher on the abandonment/instability, mistrust/abuse, and self-sacrifice schemas. Furthermore, evidence was found for construct validity in relation to measures of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology and of anger expression. Findings offer support for the use of the B-YSQ-A with adolescents, both for research and intervention purposes.

Highlights

Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs) constitute a major theoretical feature of Schema Therapy (ST; Young, 1999)
Item selection for the B-Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ)-A All of the alternative models applied to the 90 items composing the complete form of the Young Schema Questionnaire – Short Form 3 (YSQ-S3) achieved acceptable fit indicators based on the RMSEA and SRMR combination, the CFI values were relatively low
At least partially, limitations found in existing research, this study examined the psychometric properties of a new, shorter, and language-appropriate measure of Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs) in adolescence, based on a large community adolescent sample

Summary

Introduction

Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs) constitute a major theoretical feature of Schema Therapy (ST; Young, 1999). Some studies have been conducted with this purpose in mind, in which the items were rephrased with the goal of becoming more meaningful to children (Rijkeboer & Boo, 2010) or to adolescents (Muris, 2006; Van Vlierberghe et al, 2010) Most of these studies have been conducted with the YSQ-S, which assesses 15 schemas, instead of the 18 EMSs currently proposed. They found that the “Impaired limits-exaggerated standards” domain had a significant association with anger, whereas the “Disconnection-rejection” and “Impaired autonomy-other directedness” domains had significant associations with anxiety

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