The Discrimination of Children's Phobias Using the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children

Abstract

The discriminant validity of children's and parents' ratings of the child's fear on the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R; Ollendick, 1983) was examined using a clinic sample of children who met DSM criteria for phobic disorders (N = 120). Discriminant function analyses and item analyses were conducted to determine if children meeting diagnostic criteria for a primary disorder of social phobia, simple phobia of the dark/sleeping alone, simple phobia of animals, or a simple phobia of shots/doctors could be differentiated on the basis of FSSC-R subscale scores and items. Results of the discriminant function analyses indicated that the child-completed as well as the parent-completed FSSC-Rs were similarly useful in differentiating the specific types of phobias. Results of the item analyses indicated that child-completed FSSC-R items could discriminate among the different simple phobias but not social phobia and that parent-completed FSSC-R items could discriminate not only the different simple phobias but also social phobia. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of the FSSC-R in the assessment of clinically significant fears in children with phobic disorders and the relative utility of child and parent ratings in the assessment of childhood fears.