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UID:pretalx-2026-J8SVDK@conferences.acspri.org.au
DTSTART;TZID=AEST:20261125T110000
DTEND;TZID=AEST:20261125T111500
DESCRIPTION:Mental health difficulties rarely occur in isolation. Symptoms 
 of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)\, conduct problems\, an
 d internalising difficulties co-occur at rates substantially above chance 
 across childhood and adolescence\, yet the mechanisms generating this como
 rbidity remain debated. Two influential theoretical frameworks offer compe
 ting explanations. Dynamic mutualism proposes that distinct psychopatholog
 y dimensions reinforce one another through reciprocal developmental proces
 ses\, such that symptoms in one domain directly amplify symptoms in anothe
 r. The common-cause model proposes instead that comorbidity reflects a sha
 red latent liability underlying multiple symptom dimensions simultaneously
 . Prior longitudinal tests of these frameworks have relied on single-infor
 mant measurement\, limiting the psychometric quality of the latent constru
 cts under investigation. The present study demonstrates how multi-informan
 t structural equation modelling can be combined with latent difference sco
 re methodology to provide a more rigorous evaluation of competing developm
 ental theories.\n\nWe analysed data for parent\, youth\, and teacher repor
 ted indicators of ADHD\, conduct problems\, and internalising symptoms obt
 ained through the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N =
  7\,558) at Waves one (10-11 years of age) and two (11-12 years of age). U
 sing structural equation modelling we estimated two competing latent diffe
 rence score models\, one representing hypotheses of dynamic mutualism and 
 the other representing hypotheses of common cause theory of development. B
 oth models represented ADHD\, conduct problems\, and internalising symptom
 s as latent factors combining parent\, youth\, and teacher information\, a
 long with orthogonal respondent-general factors to account for covariance 
 arising from shared method effects. Under the dynamic mutualism model mech
 anisms of change were specified for each domain and predicted by both self
 -feedback and cross-domain regressive effects\, the hypothesis being that 
 dynamic mutualism would be evidenced by positive cross-domain regressive e
 ffects. Under the common-cause model mechanisms of change were specified a
 t the level of a single higher-order general psychopathology factor that r
 epresents effects that act upon all three domain factors.  \n\nBoth models
  fitted the data well by conventional criteria (CFI ≥ .974\, RMSEA = .02
 7\, SRMR ≤ .048). Information criteria provided divergent guidance: AIC 
 favoured the mutualism model (ΔAIC = 40.5) while BIC\, which more heavily
  penalises model complexity\, favoured the more parsimonious common-cause 
 model (ΔBIC = −35.7). Inspection of the substantive parameters differen
 tiated the models more clearly. In the dynamic mutualism model\, significa
 nt self-feedback was observed for conduct problems (standardised β = −.
 48\, p = .002) and ADHD (β = −.28\, p < .001)\, but five of six cross-d
 omain coupling paths were non-significant. The one significant coupling ef
 fect indicated that higher initial ADHD predicted less subsequent change i
 n internalising (β = −.15\, p = .001) — a negative direction contrary
  to the positive reciprocal reinforcement that mutualism theory predicts. 
 In the common-cause model\, all three domains loaded significantly on the 
 general psychopathology factor\, and the proportional self-feedback parame
 ter was significant and negative (β = −.33\, p < .001)\, indicating tha
 t higher initial general psychopathology predicted less subsequent increas
 e in the common factor. Individual differences in general-factor change we
 re also significant (standardised residual variance = .89\, p < .001).\n\n
 These findings highlight value of the multi-informant latent difference sc
 ore approach. The pattern of results is more consistent with a common-caus
 e account of developmental comorbidity than with dynamic mutualism during 
 this developmental period. The study demonstrates that multi-informant mea
 surement enriches the reliability of latent constructs in developmental th
 eory testing\, and that embedding competing theoretical models within a un
 ified latent difference score framework allows for hypothesis-driven evalu
 ation of their relative empirical support. Implications for the measuremen
 t of developmental psychopathology and the design of future longitudinal s
 tudies will be discussed.
DTSTAMP:20261013T070012Z
LOCATION:Sutherland Room
SUMMARY:Multi-informant latent difference score models for comparing theori
 es of developmental psychopathology: common cause versus dynamic mutualism
  - Burt Hatch
URL:https://conferences.acspri.org.au/2026/talk/J8SVDK/
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