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Psychometric Properties of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children in a Spanish Sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

José Olivares ,
Raquel Sánchez-García ,
José Antonio López-Pina  and
Ana Isabel Rosa-Alcázar
José Olivares*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Murcia (Spain)
Raquel Sánchez-García
Affiliation:
Universidad de Murcia (Spain)
José Antonio López-Pina
Affiliation:
Universidad de Murcia (Spain)
Ana Isabel Rosa-Alcázar
Affiliation:
Universidad de Murcia (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to José Olivares Rodríguez. Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamientos Psicológicos. Facultad de Psicología. Campus de Espinardo. Universidad de Murcia. 30100 Murcia. (Spain). Phone: +34- 968363976. Fax: +34-968364111. E-mail: jorelx@um.es
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Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to adapt and analyze the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C; Beidel, Turner, & Morris, 1995) in a Spanish population. The SPAI-C was applied to a sample of 1588 children and adolescents with ages ranging from 10 to 17 years. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed a four-factor structure: Public performance, Assertiveness, Fear and avoidance/escape in social encounters, and Cognitive and psychophysiological interferences. Internal consistency was high (.90) and test-retest reliability was moderate (.56). Significant differences were found in the variables sex and age, although the effect size was small in both variables and their interaction. Overall, the increase of the age value was inversely proportional to that of social anxiety measured with the SPAI-C; in participants of the same age, values were higher for girls than for boys. Results suggest that the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory For Children is a valid and reliable instrument to assess social anxiety in Spanish children and adolescents.

Los objetivos de este estudio fueron adaptar y analizar la estructura factorial, fiabilidad y validez del Inventario de Ansiedad y Fobia Social para niños (Social Phobia And Anxiety Inventory For Children, SPAI-C; Beidel, Turner y Morris 1995) en población española. El SPAI-C fue aplicado a una muestra de 1588 niños y adolescentes con edades entre 10 y 17 años. El análisis factorial confirmatorio determinó una estructura de cuatro factores: Actuación en público, Asertividad, Miedo y evitación/escape en los encuentros sociales e Interferencias cognitivas y psicofisiológicas. La consistencia interna fue alta (0.90) y la fiabilidad test-retest moderada (0.56). Se encontraron diferencias significativas en las variables sexo y edad, aunque con un tamaño del efecto bajo para ambas variables y su interacción. En general, el incremento del valor de la edad se muestra inverso al de la ansiedad social medida con el SPAI-C, mostrando las chicas valores más elevados para una misma edad que los chicos. Los resultados sugieren que el Inventario de Ansiedad y Fobia Social para niños es un instrumento válido y fiable para evaluar ansiedad social en niños y adolescentes españoles.

Keywords

children and adolescentssocial anxietysocial phobia and anxiety inventory for children (spai-c)assessmentself-reportvalidationniños y adolescentesansiedad socialinventario de ansiedad y fobia social para niños (spai-c)evaluaciónauto-informevalidación

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , November 2010 , pp. 961 - 969
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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