Analysis

The analysis of the data collected from the KCASQR-24 involves evaluating children’s responses to determine their pattern of causal attributions. This is usually done using statistical methods such as factor analysis to identify the core elements of the questionnaire and its reliability. The responses are categorized and scored to create a profile of the child’s causal attributions.

Purpose

The main purpose of the KCASQR-24 is to provide a reliable and valid method for assessing causal attribution in children. This tool can be used in research, clinical assessments, and educational settings to identify thinking patterns that may be related to children’s mental health and academic performance. Additionally, it can be used to guide interventions aimed at improving children’s cognitive strategies and resilience.

Scoring

Scoring the KCASQR-24 involves using a system that records children’s responses to each question and converts them into scores reflecting the type of causal attribution (internal/external, stable/unstable, global/specific). Total scores can be analyzed to provide an overall profile of the child’s causal attribution and to identify areas where intervention or support may be required.

References

The Kastan Children’s Attributional Style Questionnaire – Revised (KCASQR-24) has been evaluated and used in numerous studies to understand children’s causal attributions. Below are some key bibliographic references that examine the development, reliability, and psychometric properties of this tool:

Psychometric Evaluation: In a 1998 study, the KCASQR-24 was evaluated for its psychometric properties. The research, which included 1,086 children aged 9–12 years, showed that the revised version was slightly less reliable than the original but had equivalent criterion validity for self-reported depression. The study also explored differences by race (ERIC) (scite.ai).

Italian Validation: A recent 2024 study validated the KCASQR-24 in Italy and examined its psychometric properties. The study, which included 337 children, identified four distinct clusters based on the six KCASQR-24 subscales. These clusters were linked to differences in levels of depressive symptoms, providing valuable insights for targeted interventions (Preprints.org).

Genetic and Environmental Influences: Another study investigated the genetic and environmental influences on hopelessness and causal attribution, and their relationship with depression and anxiety in adolescents. The results showed that the correlations between causal attribution, hopelessness, and depression symptoms are largely due to shared genetic vulnerability, suggesting biological pathways supporting the hopelessness theory of depression (scite.ai).

These studies highlight the importance and applicability of the KCASQR-24 in assessing children’s causal attributions and understanding the psychological factors contributing to the development of psychopathology.