The Effect of Children’s Negative Automatic Thoughts on Their Problematic Smartphone Use: The Moderating Effect of Weekend Family Rituals

Objectives: The prevalence of smartphone use among children raises concerns about the potential for problematic smartphone use. According to previous findings, it was reported that psychological factors affect children’s problematic smartphone use. However, cognitive factors affecting children’s problematic smartphone use have not been investigated enough. To find out how to mitigate and prevent their problematic smartphone use, the present study explores whether children’s negative automatic thoughts affect their problematic smartphone use. It also seeks to investigate the moderation effect of weekend family rituals on the relationship between children’s negative automatic thoughts and problematic smartphone use.Methods: The study participants included 274 fifth and sixth graders attending elementary schools in Seoul and Incheon, South Korea. Statistical analysis for the present study was conducted using SPSS 22.0 and PROCESS macro version 3.2.Results: The study found that children’s negative automatic thoughts are positively related to problematic smartphone use. In addition, children’s negative automatic thoughts are adversely related to weekend rituals, and weekends ritual are also negatively associated with children’s problematic smartphone use. Children’s negative automatic thoughts have an effect on their problematic smartphone use. It also found that weekend family rituals moderated the association between children’s negative automatic thoughts and their problematic smartphone use. That is, children who automatically perceive themselves negatively tend to be dependent on smartphones.Conclusion: Based on the results, this study suggests that it is necessary not only to design intervention programs for preventing children’s problematic smartphone use but also to support work and life balance so that families can create and maintain their weekend family rituals.

The English Version of the Schema Inventory for Children: Psychometric Evaluation of a Measure of Early Maladaptive Schemas in a Primary School-Aged Sample

Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) are proposed to be maladaptive ways of thinking and feeling that develop from adverse experiences and basic needs not being met in childhood or adolescence. Once developed, EMSs increase vulnerability to psychopathology. Psychometric evaluations of EMS measures in children are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the English version of the Schema Inventory for Children (SIC) in a community sample of youth aged 8 to 13 years. The SIC and measures of positive and negative automatic thoughts, social phobia symptoms, and depressed mood were administered to participants. Although a correlated 11-factor model was expected for the SIC, the optimal factor structure was a correlated six-factor model. EMS subscales corresponding to these six factors had acceptable internal consistency, and they had positive associations with the measures of negative automatic thoughts, social phobia symptoms, and depressive mood, as well as negative associations with the measure of positive automatic thoughts. These results indicate that EMSs in children may not be as differentiated as they are in adults. The results provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the English version of the SIC, justifying its use in contexts requiring the assessment of EMSs in children.

A-138 The Correlation between Inattentiveness and Depression in an Adult Population Sample

Objective To test if there is a correlation between the inattentive domain of the Conners Continuous Performance Task 3rd Edition (CPT-3) and depression scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). Method Adult mixed psychiatric clinical sample was derived from a large de-identified database through a SPSS descriptive statistics analysis. Participants (n = 256) were a diverse distribution of race (62.1%Caucasian,16%Latinx,12.9%African American, and 9%Other), gender (60.5%female, 39.5%male), age (27.25-years average), and education (16-years average). Each participant was administered the Conners CPT-3 to evaluate the inattentive domain which consisted of Detectability, Omissions, Commission, Hit-Reaction-Time (HRT), HRT-Standard-Deviation, and Variability; and the MMPI-2. A bivariate correlation was run to determine significance. Results The CPT-3 and MMPI-2 were correlated at p < 0.01 significantly on Variability with the K-Scale (r = −1.69) and VRIN-Scale (r = 0.177). They were correlated at p < 0.05 significantly on Variability with the TRIN-Scale (r = 0.126) and 2-Scale (r = 0.152); on HRT-Std-Dev with the TRIN-Scale (r = 0.127) and 1-Scale (r = 0.128); on Omissions with the VRIN-Scale (r = 0.151) and 9-Scale (r==0.126); and on Commissions with the 7-Scale (r = −0.124) and 8-Scale (r = −0.124). Conclusion Mitchell et al. (2013) conducted a study to assess the relationship between ADHD and negative automatic thoughts associated with depression in adults which found that inattentive ADHD significantly associated with negative automatic thoughts. Although the current analysis found some correlation between the measures, there was a lack of significant correlation between inattentiveness and depression. These findings are important as they contradict a criteria for depression. Further research is needed to understand the dynamic between the two measures.

Therapist Materials for Core Beliefs

The session in this chapter looks at the concept of core beliefs and how negative automatic thoughts are related to negative core beliefs. Negative core beliefs are the roots from which different types of related automatic thoughts grow. Core beliefs arise from repeated similar experiences and powerful single experiences. Clients learn to identify their personal core beliefs (such as I am worthless, I am unlovable, I will go crazy) by using the downward arrow technique. Although arriving at a core belief and saying it out loud is an emotionally evocative experience, it’s a necessary part of the client’s work. It is also an opportunity for the therapist to hear the client and empathize with the client’s experience. Over time, the client builds a repertoire of experiences that allow for new core beliefs to form, making their original core beliefs less valid.

Core Beliefs

During this session, clients learn about core beliefs, which are powerful beliefs that exist deep within our brains and influence how we think. They are at the root, or the core, of our automatic thoughts about ourselves, and they can be positive or negative. In this chapter, clients learn what core beliefs are and where they come from—specifically, they can come from repetitive early experiences, or from a single formative, highly emotional experience. They will also learn about the relationship between negative core beliefs and negative automatic thoughts—specifically, that negative core beliefs, though usually outside of awareness, influence or shape automatic thoughts. Clients are taught the downward arrow technique to identify their own negative core beliefs.

Automatic Thoughts and Thinking Traps

During this session, clients learn about automatic thoughts, which are fast, subjective interpretations of the world. Automatic thoughts are necessary to operate in a complex world, but emotional disorders typically involve negative automatic thoughts about particular situations, emotions, the future, and one’s self. Automatic thoughts influence and are influenced by emotion. There can be more than one interpretation of a situation, and cognitive flexibility involves being able to consider various interpretations. Clients also learn about two thinking traps (jumping to conclusions or probability overestimation, and thinking the worst or catastrophizing) and how these traps can influence thoughts to produce negative emotion.