Although studies investigating the validity of positive affectivity and negative affectivity in children have been supportive, investigations of changes in the structure of affect across childhood have demonstrated mixed results. The current study used confirmatory factor analytic techniques to test one-factor, two-factor correlated, and two-factor uncorrelated models of positive affectivity and negative affectivity in two developmentally distinct populations of children (third and sixth grade). Both two-factor models provided an acceptable fit to the data from older and younger children. Based on these results and previous research, the structure of affect appears to be similar across age groups. However, evidence for increased differentiation remains. Limitations of the study include the cross-sectional design and a predominantly rural, White sample.

Parent training combined with problem solving skills training has been proposed as a comprehensive treatment for childhood oppositional behaviors, poor child social skills, and parental stress . The current study compared Parent Training + Problem Solving Skills Training with a Parent Training + nondirective condition. Parents of 32 children first attended Parent Training . After the parents completed Parent Training, children were randomly assigned to individual therapy in either a Problem Solving Skills Training condition or a nondirective condition. Data comparisons between the groups were made at postindividual therapy and at 6-week follow-up. Results indicated that children in the Problem Solving Skills Training condition improved more than their counterparts regarding parent-reported, parent-observed, and child-reported social skills. Children in the Problem Solving Skills Training condition also improved more lV than children in the nondirective condition on parent-observed oppositional behaviors ; however , children in the non-d irective condition demonstrated more improvement than their Problem Solving Skills Training counterparts on parent-reported measures of oppositional behaviors . There were no differences between the groups regarding parental stress . The clinical implications and limitations of these findings are discussed. (269 pages) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Most of the time, this project seemed far too ambitious for its own good. It was only after I defended my proposal that I fully realized how much I would depend on collaboration from others. As such, several acknowledgments should be made to recognize those who spent their time and talents helping me bring this project to fruition. V First, I would like to thank my committee chair, Gretchen Gimpel Peacock, forall her help and support. I am indebted to her willingness to help me revise numerous drafts and make something coherent from the data. The clarity and direction of the fi:nal document are due in no small part to her efforts. Similarly, I would also like to thank the members of my defense committee who helped me weed out the relevant from the less-than-relevant. I am also indebted to Dr. Gimpel Peacock for giving me the funding so that I could successfully recruit participant families to the study. The majority of those recruited came via newspaper advertisements, wruch would not have been run had she not been willing to part with grant funding . Many graduate students also volunteered their time to act as student therapists. Although I attempted to lure them with "a great clinical experience" and the promise of brief progress notes, it was always clear that they were the ones doing me the favor. After all, time is a great conunodity in graduate school. Therefore, a special thank you to those who acted as student therapists: