Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Tracy Mallett

Abstract

Linking cognition and behavior has long been an area of interest to the field of psychology in its endeavors to understand what innate factors influence human behavior. To date, the majority of research linking emotional reactivity to cognition has focused on single areas of intellectual functioning on specific diagnostic profiles or learning disorders rather than a comprehensive comparison to cognitive profile typology. Nearly all the research conducted to date continues to define cognition and emotion as disparate entities, rather than exploring a more integrated view of emotion and cognition. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine cognitive profile differences among children with internalizing versus externalizing profiles of emotional reactivity in terms of Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory constructs as measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children, Fourth Edition [WISC-IV]. A cognitive-behavioral approach was used in conducting a secondary analysis of BASC2 and WISC-IV composite scores from a limited data set of 128 male and female students 6-16 years of age obtained from a local public school district. Results of paired-sample t tests indicated that the VCI was significantly higher for the BASC2 internalizing group (t =3.063, p < .05, two-tailed), suggesting the existence of distinct verbal cognitive skillsets among groups. This study contributes to social change by providing information to researchers and practitioners about cognitive differences among children with internalizing and externalizing behaviors that may lead to more effective cognitive-behavioral research and intervention strategies.

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