Abstract
We investigated the relationships of adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors with their early maladaptive schemas (EMS), coping responses, and schema modes. We focused on EMS related to experiences of disconnection and rejection that comprise vulnerable emotions, such as shame, mistrust, deprivation, abandonment, and isolation/alienation. This cross-sectional study included a total of 699 adolescents (combined clinical and non-referred sample) who were 11 to 18 years old (M = 14.6; SD = 1.6), and of which 45% was male. All participants completed self-report questionnaires on EMS, coping responses, schema modes, and behavior problems. We aimed to clarify the relationships between these variables by testing mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation models. In general, coping responses functioned as mediators rather than moderators in the relationships between EMS and schema modes. Furthermore, EMS regarding experiences of disconnection and rejection were related to both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and coping responses and schema modes mediated these effects. In conclusion, although adolescent internalizing and externalizing behavior problems manifest quite differently, they seem related to the same EMS.
Highlights
We investigated the relationships of adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors with their early maladaptive schemas (EMS), coping responses, and schema modes
Models for Schema Theory Constructs and Internalizing versus Externalizing Problems As a final step of the present study, we examined the nature of the relationships between EMS, schema coping, schema modes, and internalizing versus externalizing behavior problems
We found evidence that EMS had a direct effect on Internalizing behavior problems independent of surrendering coping and Internalizing modes, c’ = 1.82, 99.9% BCI [0.05, 3.58])
Summary
We investigated the relationships of adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors with their early maladaptive schemas (EMS), coping responses, and schema modes. We focused on EMS related to experiences of disconnection and rejection that comprise vulnerable emotions, such as shame, mistrust, deprivation, abandonment, and isolation/alienation. EMS regarding experiences of disconnection and rejection were related to both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and coping responses and schema modes mediated these effects. All studies reported some evidence that EMS related to experiences of disconnection and rejection are predictive of both internalizing and externalizing problems Such EMS include Abandonment (i.e., expecting to be abandoned in close relationships), Mistrust/ Abuse (i.e., expecting to be mistreated by others), Emotional deprivation (i.e., expecting that others will not meet one’s needs), Social isolation (i.e., feeling different from others; expecting to never fit in), and Defectiveness/Shame (i.e., perceiving the self as inferior, unwanted, or unlovable). It may be that more complex models, for example moderating or mediating models, are necessary to clarify the relationships between EMS regarding experiences of disconnection and rejection, and internalizing versus externalizing behaviors
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