Psychometric Properties of the Children’s Automatic Thoughts Scale (CATS) in Chinese Adolescents

Abstract

The Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale (CATS) is a 40-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure children's negative thoughts. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese translation of the CATS. Participants included 1,993 students (average age = 14.73) from three schools in Mainland China. A subsample of the participants was retested after 4 weeks. Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the original structure with four first-order factors loading on a single higher-order factor. The convergent and divergent validity of the CATS were good. The CATS demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Boys scored higher on the CATS-hostility subscale, but there were no other gender differences. Older adolescents (15-18 years) reported higher scores than younger adolescents (12-14 years) on the total score and on the physical threat, social threat, and hostility subscales. The CATS proved to be a reliable and valid measure of automatic thoughts in Chinese adolescents.

Automatic thoughts as a predictor of internalizing and externalizing problems in Chinese adolescents: A test of the cognitive content‐specificity hypothesis with age effects

“…Participants reported the thoughts they had in the past week and responded using a five‐point Likert scale (0 = never to 4 = always). The Chinese version of the CATS has demonstrated good internal consistency, adequate test–retest reliability, and satisfactory construct validity (Sun, Rapee, Tao et al ., ). In the current study, the internal consistency coefficient of CATS subscales ranged from 0.874 to 0.916.…”

“…Adopting the method derived from Sun et al . (), we used the combined score of subscales for conduct problems (SDQ‐CD) and hyperactivity (SDQ‐Hy) of the Chinese version of the scale in this study to investigate externalizing behavioral problems in Chinese adolescents. The alpha coefficient of the combined score of SDQ‐CD and SDQ‐Hy was 0.655 in present study.…”

A Comparison of the Anti-Anxiety Effects of Oral Ketamine and Fluvoxamine in Children with Separation Anxiety Disorder Manifesting as School Refusal

“…Likewise, those having treatment intolerance, not promptly referring for their treatment completion, tending to leave the study for any reason and at any time, drugs and substances abuse, exhibiting drug reactions or allergy to the examined medications during the treatment, and experiencing any treatment-interfering psychosis or medical disease were excluded. The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) questionnaire, with a total score range of 0-82, a cutoff point of 25 for children, a validity of 0.7-0.9, and reliability of 88%, and the Child's automatic thought scale (CATS) scale with a total score range of 0-160, the cutoff point of 21 for children, the validity of 0.8, and reliability of 75%, both enjoying suitable validity and reliability,[ 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 ] were used for measuring children's anxiety. Questionnaires were filled by patients or with the help of families.…”

Application of optical fiber sensing technology in bridge detection

“…Chongqing University has applied its research results in optical fiber sensing technology to the long-term online dynamic remote health monitoring of Qingfang overpass, which proves that the principle is feasible; Harbin Engineering University designed the optical fiber sensor based on the principle of white light interference. Different from retest, he designed the white light interferometer of optical fiber Michelson junction [11]. By comparing the optical path difference, he indirectly measured the variation characteristics of the sensor length with the stress and strain of the bridge cable.…”