title: Validation of the ambivalent and purposeful engagement--trait measure.
abstract: The Ambivalent and Purposeful Engagement-Trait Measure (APE-TM) was developed to assess two ways that people may react to stressful social interactions: ambivalent engagement (AE: counterproductive attempts to avoid thoughts and feelings) and purposeful engagement (PE: effortfully approaching and working through thoughts and feelings). We carried out three studies in undergraduate and clinical populations to (i) test the robustness of previous psychometric findings and (ii) determine whether AE and PE are specific to social anxiety. Across three studies, our results indicate that the APE-TM is a psychometrically valid measure of ambivalent and purposeful engagement. However, PE appeared less specific to social anxiety and may represent a more general tendency toward adaptive coping. In contrast, AE was specific to social anxiety in both undergraduate samples and clinical samples of individuals with a variety of anxiety disorders and depression.
authors.affiliation: a Psychology , Washington University in St. Louis , 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1125, Saint Louis , 63130 , MO , USA.
authors.forename: Katya C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Julia K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Rodebaugh
authors.forename: Tejal A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Jakatdar
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Heimberg
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lenze
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult