BASIC DIMENSIONS OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

长期以来，研究人员一致认为，将儿童和青少年的精神病理学视为多维的，而不是无维度的，更为合适。因此，该领域有一个悠久的传统，试图使用经验方法来定义精神病理学的多个维度。尽管有了这些努力，然而，关于青少年精神病理学维度的数量和性质仍然存在明显的分歧。在基本计量单位上的分歧严重限制了病因学研究的科学进展。提出的研究将使用心理测量和行为遗传学方法的结合来解决关于儿童和青少年精神病理学基本维度的分歧。使用来自双胞胎样本的数据，验证性因素分析将用于测试儿童和青少年精神病理学基础结构的替代方法的拟合性，这些方法来源于先前的研究和理论。然而，拟议的研究将远远超出因素分析，通过使用标准有效性和行为遗传策略验证假定的维度。精神病理学的两个假定维度如果与外部标准变量没有表现出不同的关联模式，就不会被认为是有意义的不同维度。同样，没有表现出遗传和/或环境影响的两个假定不同的维度也不被认为是不同的维度。潜在的发展和性别差异在心理病理的维度将评估使用结构方程模型。

Researchers have long agreed that it is more appropriate to view child and adolescent psychopathology as multi-dimensional than un-dimensional. Consequently, the field has a long tradition of attempting to use empirical methods to define the multiple dimensions of psychopathology. In spite of these efforts, however, there is still marked disagreement about the number and nature of dimensions of psychopathology in youths. This disagreement on the fundamental units of measurement seriously limits scientific progress in the study of etiology. The proposed study will use a combination of psychometric and behavior genetic methods to resolve disagreements about the basic dimensions of psychopathology in children and adolescents. Using data from a sample of twins, confirmatory factor analysis will be used to test the fit of alternative methods of the underlying structure of child and adolescent psychopathology derived from prior research and theory. The proposed study will go well beyond factor analysis, however, by validating the putative dimensions using both criterion validity and behavior genetic strategies. Two putative dimensions of psychopathology that do not show different patterns of association with external criterion variables would not be considered to be meaningfully distinct dimensions. Similarly, two putatively distinct dimensions that do not exhibit genetic and/or environmental influences would not be considered to be distinct dimensions. Potential development and gender differences in the dimensions of psychopathology will be evaluated using structural equation modeling.