Cognition and Negative Affectivity

Abstract

Presents a discussion of the historical and current status of cognitive-clinical psychology, and examines the basic assumptions and theoretical constructs of information processing (IP) perspectives on clinical psychology. The IP paradigm and the relationship of IP to psychopathology and negative affective conditions is discussed. Negative affectivity (NA) in children is explored, including depression and anxiety as diagnostic categories for children and cognitive factors in childhood NA. An affective component of depression and anxiety, defined as NA, appears to exist in both adults and children, and the cognitive factors operating in this general distress factor appear at least somewhat similar. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)