The tripartite model of anxiety and depression has been studied with adults; however, support is still emerging with children concerning measurement and relations between positive (PA) and negative (NA) affect and psychopathology. In this longitudinal study of 270 4th- to 11th-grade children (mean age = 12.9 years, SD = 2.23). confirmatory factor analysis supported a 2-factor orthogonal model of children's self-reported affect and revealed that the concurrent relations of NA and PA to anxiety and depression symptoms were consistent with the tripartite model. Structural equation modeling demonstrated moderate cross-time stability of trait PA and NA, consistent with a temperament view of these factors, as well as partial support for the role of NA and PA in the development of anxiety and depression symptoms in children.

The positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) framework that is embodied in the tripartite model of anxiety and depression has proved useful with adult populations; however, there is as yet little investigation with children concerning either the measurement of PA and NA or the relation between PA and NA and levels of adjustment. A confirmatory factor analysis was used in this study to examine the structure of self-reported affect and its relation to depressive and anxious symptoms in school children (4th to 11th grade). Results supported a 2-factor orthogonal model that was invariant across age and sex. Support for the expected pattern of relations between NA and PA with symptoms of depression and anxiety was strong for the older sample (M = 14.2 years) but weaker for the younger sample (M = 10.3 years). Results also provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for children.

Examined the tripartite model of personality, which emphasizes negative affectivity (NA) and positive affectivity (PA) as central organizing dimensions of personality that are useful for discriminating psychopathologies. Conceptualizations of youth temperament also include second-order, organizing factors of negative emotionality/neuroticism and positive emotionality/extroversion that may differentially predict psychopathologies. A community sample of 290 10- to 17-year-old youth completed the Emotionality, Activity, and Sociability Temperament Survey (EAS), Positive and Negative Affectivity Schedule, and measures of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Factor analysis replicated the 5-factor structure of the EAS and revealed 2 independent second-order factors, negative temperament (NT) and positive temperament (PT). NT and PT demonstrated convergent and discriminant relations with NA and PA. Consistent with the tripartite model, NT was associated with both anxiety and depression scores, but PT was related to depression scores only.

Examined the validity of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression and its internal structure in children. Measures of positive affect/surgency (PA/S) and negative affect/neuroticism (NA/N) and self-report and peer nominations of symptoms of depression and anxiety were completed by 104 children (mean age = 14.9 years, SD = 1.9). Parents completed measures of temperament and anxious and depressive symptoms. Multitrait-multimethod and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) supported a 3-factor model that included separate Child and Parent NA/N factors and a joint PA/S factor. Child and Parent NA/N were related to symptoms of both depression and anxiety, but neither parent nor peer symptom ratings related to Child NA/N. PA/S was primarily related to symptoms of depression. These results support aspects of the tripartite model in children and suggest caution in the use of multimethod assessment of children's temperament and internalizing symptoms.

Examined the validity of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression and its internal structure in children. Measures of positive affect/surgency (PA/S) and negative affect/neuroticism (NA/N) and self-report and peer nominations of symptoms of depression and anxiety were completed by 104 children (mean age = 14.9 years, SD = 1.9). Parents completed measures of temperament and anxious and depressive symptoms. Multitrait-multimethod and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) supported a 3-factor model that included separate Child and Parent NA/N factors and a joint PA/S factor. Child and Parent NA/N were related to symptoms of both depression and anxiety, but neither parent nor peer symptom ratings related to Child NA/N. PA/S was primarily related to symptoms of depression. These results support aspects of the tripartite model in children and suggest caution in the use of multimethod assessment of children's temperament and internalizing symptoms.