title: Self-talk and affective problems in college students: valence of thinking and cognitive content specificity.
abstract: The aim of this study was to develop a Self-Talk Inventory for young adults. This inventory consisted of two scales. The Negative Self-Talk Scale included three categories of self-talk (depressive, anxious, and angry thoughts) and the Positive Self-Talk Scale, three categories (minimization, positive orientation, and coping self-instructions). Participants were 982 undergraduate students (Mean age = 20.35 years, SD = 2.16). They completed the self-talk scales together with the following scales to measure symptoms of affective disorders: the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-T). Factor analyses confirmed the hypothesized structure for the Self-Talk Inventory. The relations between self-talk and symptoms of affective disorders (depression, anxiety, and anger) were also evaluated. In general, states-of-mind -SOM- ratios and negative cognitions showed a greater association with psychological symptoms than did positive cognitions. Results concerning the cognitive characteristics of depression, anxiety, and anger were mixed and partially supported the cognitive content specificity theory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Deusto, Apdo. 1, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. ecalvete@fice.deusto.es
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calvete
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estévez
authors.forename: Covadonga
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Landín
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cardeñoso
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Villardón
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking; D014705:Verbal Behavior