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Primary process thinking and anxiety in children.

M J Kleinman¹, S W Russ

¹Case Western Reserve University.

Journal of Personality Assessment

|January 1, 1988

Summary

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Primary process thinking in boys is linked to anxiety. Higher expression of primary process material correlated with more anxiety, while controlled integration showed less anxiety. No significant findings emerged for girls.

Area of Science:

Child Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Psychoanalytic Theory

Background:

Primary process thinking, characterized by primitive and associative thought patterns, is a concept from psychoanalytic theory.
Anxiety in children can manifest behaviorally and be assessed through various psychometric tools.
Previous research has explored cognitive styles and their relation to emotional states, but specific links between primary process thinking and childhood anxiety require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between primary process thinking and anxiety in fourth- and fifth-grade children.
To examine how the frequency and integration of primary process material relate to anxiety as rated by teachers and self-reported anxiety.
To explore potential gender differences in these relationships.

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Main Methods:

Utilized Holt's Scoring System for Primary Process Responses on the Rorschach to measure primary process thinking.
Employed the Teacher's Rating Scale to assess behavioral manifestations of anxiety.
Administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children for self-reported anxiety levels.
Analyzed data from fourth- and fifth-grade children, with a focus on gender-specific outcomes.

Main Results:

For boys, a higher frequency of primary process material expression was positively associated with teacher-rated anxiety.
Controlled access and integration of primary process thinking were negatively related to teacher-rated anxiety in boys.
No significant relationships were found between primary process measures and anxiety for girls.
Primary process measures did not correlate with scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children for either gender.

Conclusions:

Primary process thinking appears differentially related to anxiety in prepubescent children, with distinct patterns observed in boys.
The findings suggest that the way primary process material is expressed and managed may be a crucial factor in its association with anxiety.
Further research is needed to understand the lack of significant findings in girls and the discrepancy between teacher ratings and self-report measures of anxiety.