Ayse Rezan Cecen EROGUL*
Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University, Mugla, Turkey
Abstract
The present study was designed to analyze the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) and dimensionality of the Children’s Automatic Thoughts Scale (CATS; Schniering & Rapee, 2002) in Turkish children. The subjects were 710 students (368 female; 342 male) aged from 8-17 years with a mean age of 12.33 (SD=2.27) years. The result of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) has shown that a four factor model fit the data. Cronbach alpha for the overall CATS was .93. In addition test-re test reliability was .86 across 8 weeks. To asses convergent and divergent validity, CATS was administered together Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children-trait subscale (STAIC-trait) and for Adult-trait subscale (STAI-trait), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory (CSI). The CATS was positively correlated with the STAIC-trait, STAI-trait, CDI and negatively correlated with the CSI. The findings suggest that CATS is a psychometrically sound tool to asses negative automatic thoughts among children and adolescents in Turkish culture.
Keywords: negative automatic thoughts, psychometrics, Turkish children and adolescents, assessment.
