Development and Preliminary Validation of the Physiological Hyperarousal Scale for Children

• Published in: Psychological assessment Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 373 - 379
• Main Authors: Laurent, Jeff, Catanzaro, Salvatore J, Joiner, Thomas E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Psychological Association 01.12.2004
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anxiety; Anxiety - diagnosis; Arousal - physiology; Arousal Patterns; Child; Children; Depression (Psychology); Depression - diagnosis; Factor Analysis; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Male; Measures (Individuals); Psychometrics; Psychophysiology; Reproducibility of Results; Screening Tests; Surveys and Questionnaires; Test Construction; Test Validity
• ISSN: 1040-3590
• DOI: 10.1037/1040-3590.16.4.373

Considerable empirical support exists for the positive affect and negative affect components of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression proposed by L. A. Clark and D. Watson (1991); however, less attention has been paid to the physiological hyperarousal component of the model. The development of the Physiological Hyperarousal Scale for Children (PH-C; J. Laurent, S. J. Catanzaro, & T. E. Joiner Jr., 1995) is described. The psychometric properties of items are examined using students in Grades 6-12 (N = 398). Initial scale validation includes a joint factor analysis with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS-C; J. Laurent et al., 1999; J. Laurent, K. Potter, & S. J. Catanzaro, 1994). The relationship between the PH-C and existing measures that tap related constructs is examined. Together, the PH-C and PANAS-C provide a means to assess tripartite model constructs useful in differentiating anxiety and depression.