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Cited by 42Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesPsychological Treatments and AssessmentsMental Health via Writing

Self-Talk and Affective Problems in College Students: Valence of Thinking and Cognitive Content Specificity

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Calvete, Esther, Estévez, Ana, Landín, Covadonga, Martínez, Yolanda, Cardeñoso, Olga, Villardón, Lourdes, Villa, Aurelio·2005·The Spanish Journal of Psychology
DOI 10.1017/s1138741600004960
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a Self-Talk Inventory for young adults. This inventory consisted of two scales. The Negative Self-Talk Scale included three categories of selftalk (depressive, anxious, and angry thoughts) and the Positive Self-Talk Scale, three categories (minimization, positive orientation, and coping self-instructions). Participants were 982 undergraduate students (Mean age = 20.35 years, SD = 2.16). They completed the self-talk scales together with the following scales to measure symptoms of affective disorders: the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-T). Factor analyses confirmed the hypothesized structure for the Self-Talk Inventory. The relations between self-talk and symptoms of affective disorders (depression, anxiety, and anger) were also evaluated. In general, states-of-mind –SOM– ratios and negative cognitions showed a greater association with psychological symptoms than did positive cognitions. Results concerning the cognitive characteristics of depression, anxiety, and anger were mixed and partially supported the cognitive content specificity theory.

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  • Negative and positive self-talk scales are associated with psychopathology traits in specific ways.

    “many of the positive and negative subscales were significantly associated with trait measures of psychopathology: for instance, trait depression was strongly predicted by depressive self-talk and trait anxiety by anxious and depressive self-talk. Positive predictors were more varied: minimizing inner speech was negatively associated with anxiety and anger but not depression, while positively”

    From Inner Speech: Development, Cognitive Functions, Phenomenology, and Neurobiology (2015) · cites this paper as Calvete et al., 2005

    The Discussion and Self-Talk Dimensions and Affective Problems sections report that depressive thoughts were associated mainly with depression symptoms, while both anxious and depressive thoughts were associated with anxiety symptoms. The citing sentence overstates the specificity of minimization: it was not a significant predictor of depression in the initial regression, but it was significantly associated with depression after adjustment for anxiety and anger. The paper also measures depression symptoms, not a depression trait. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Research works printed but not linked: 28

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Authors
Calvete, E., Estévez, A., Landín, C., Martínez, Y., Cardeñoso, O., Villardón, L., & Villa, A.
Affiliations
Universidad de Deusto (ES)
Corresponding author
Calvete, Esther
ORCID
Venue
The Spanish Journal of Psychology
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2005-05
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
56-67
ISSN
  • 1138-7416 (ISSN-L)
  • 1988-2904
DOI
10.1017/s1138741600004960
OpenAlex
W2098763424
Cited by
42
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
FWCI
1.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 3266 d)
Locations
  • The Spanish Journal of Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Complutensian Scientific Journals (Complutense University of Madrid) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health via Writing
Keywords
self-talk, negative self-talk, positive self-talk, depression, anxiety, anger, mood disorders, university students, young adults, minimization
MeSH terms
Adult, Cognition, Female, Humans, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Students, Thinking, Verbal Behavior, Mood Disorders

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