The Dusseldorf Illustrated Schema Questionnaire for Children (DISC)

Abstract

Childhood experiences are considered to be of crucial importance in the formation of maladaptive schemas, according to Young's concept. Although some schema questionnaires already exist for children, these instruments differ in their schema structures with between 8 and 12 identified factors. To obtain a deeper understanding of early maladaptive schemas in childhood an instrument based on Young's 18-schema model was constructed (Dusseldorf Illustrated Schema Questionnaire for Children (DISC)). Cartoons were designed which represented each schema, providing children with a visual impression of what was meant by the schema, and thus the questions that they had to answer. The items were phrased as self-report statements and children's approval of the statements was assessed using a 4-point rating scale. The resulting preliminary questionnaire (18 cartoons, 90 items) was presented in classrooms across different school types (N = 569, between 8 and 13 years). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on this data to confirm the factorial structure of the questionnaire and to reduce the number of items to two items per schema. The DISC in its final version included 36 items and showed a sufficiently high test-retest reliability and convergent validity when assessed in comparison to another schema questionnaire for children. In addition, the present test is of predictive value since the DISC sum score correlated with ratings on the children's behavioral problems. CFA showed a satisfactory goodness-of-fit based on the original 18-factor model, providing a compact instrument to assess schema representations and to evaluate the dynamics of maladaptation during child development.

Turkish Adaptation of the Dusseldorf Illustrated Schema Questionnaire for Children: Psychometric Properties and Relationship with Childhood Difficulties

“…In the original study by Loose et al, (2018a, b), Cronbach's alpha level for the internal consistency of scale was found to be 0.87 and test-retest reliability was r = 0.61 (p < 0.001) at 12-to 13-month intervals and r = 0.37 (p < 0.05) at 26-to 34-month intervals. Corresponding schemas of the DISC and the SIC were found to be positively correlated (ranging between 0.22 and 0.69, p < 0.001) indicating criterion validity (Loose et al, 2018b). Pearson's r correlations of the DISC with Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, Goodman, 1997) for predictive validity indicated that the correlation was r = 0.42 (p < 0.001) with the self-assessment version of the SDQ and it was r = 0.23 (p < 0.001) with the parent assessment version of the SDQ (Loose et al, 2018b).…”

“…Corresponding schemas of the DISC and the SIC were found to be positively correlated (ranging between 0.22 and 0.69, p < 0.001) indicating criterion validity (Loose et al, 2018b). Pearson's r correlations of the DISC with Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, Goodman, 1997) for predictive validity indicated that the correlation was r = 0.42 (p < 0.001) with the self-assessment version of the SDQ and it was r = 0.23 (p < 0.001) with the parent assessment version of the SDQ (Loose et al, 2018b). In the current study, Cronbach's alpha of the total score was 0.89 and it ranged between 0.42 and 0.83 for the subscales.…”

“…Conceptualization of the interaction between temperament and core emotional needs in childhood and adolescence in terms of EMS, schema modes, and dysfunctional coping styles can help prevent the development of psychological disorders as well as contributing to resilience and well-being (Zarbock et al, 2018). EMS are shown to be related to youth mental health (Nicol et al, 2020) and childhood psychosocial problems such as emotional symptoms, behavioral problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer relationship problems (Loose et al, 2018b). However, there is no consensus in the literature as to when these EMS emerge in childhood and whether all are maladaptive when considering the developmental level of the child (Stallard & Rayner, 2005).…”

“…Furthermore, the presence of EMS in childhood and their associations to psychological distress are studied with questionnaires adapted to children. A recently developed scale, The Dusseldorf Illustrated Schema Questionnaire for Children (DISC; Loose et al, 2018b) which is based on the items of the YSQ, has an advantage compared to earlier measures (e.g., Early Maladaptive Schema Questionnaires Set for Children and Adolescents, SQS, Güner, 2016; Schema Inventory for Children, SIC, Rijkeboer & de Boo, 2010; Schema Questionnaire for Children, SQC, Stallard & Rayner, 2005) because it is composed of illustrations which make it easily accessible to younger children. The aim of the current study is first to adapt the DISC to the Turkish language and investigate its psychometric properties because having a reliable, valid, and easily administrable measure to assess EMS in clinical and research settings in Turkey could facilitate preventive intervention during early childhood.…”

Classification of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Considering Diagnosis and Treatment

“…And they identified features (closeness, eigenvector, and centrality) which boost stress level only in adults. As children grow they should adjust for each new environment, it is important too, work [6] describes developments in children while asking questions by designing schemas, and special case children were not included in homogeneous sampling. Using Deep Belief Network and greedy method Saeed [7] proved there is a maximum ADHD prediction accuracy can be achieved and that can be compared to other methods.…”