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Anxious self-talk: Development of the Anxious Self-Statements Questionnaire (ASSQ)

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Abstract

The present report describes the development of a self-statement inventory for the assessment of anxious self-talk, the Anxious Self-Statements Questionnaire (ASSQ). Psychometrically defined groups (using dual criteria) of high anxious and normal level anxious undergraduates were arranged in both initial item-selection and cross-validation samples. Thirty-two items discriminated between criterion groups. Estimates of reliability were quite acceptable. Males and females did not differ in responses to the ASSQ. Factor analysis revealed a three-factor solution. A second study found the ASSQ to be sensitive to a stressful event. Discussion includes consideration of the use of the ASSQ to assess intervention-produced change in the frequency of anxious self-talk, the need for further study using clinical samples, and the important of exploring the role of anxious self-talk by using multiple methods of measurement. The ASSQ may provide a measure to facilitate further study of the cognitive information processing difficulties associated with anxiety disorders.

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Kendall, P.C., Hollon, S.D. Anxious self-talk: Development of the Anxious Self-Statements Questionnaire (ASSQ). Cogn Ther Res 13, 81–93 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01178491

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