Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
Published on: December 6, 2024
Brief report: factor structure of the Childhood Illness Attitude Scales (CIAS)
Kristi D Wright1, Gordon J G Asmundson
1Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Objective:
To examine the factor structure of the Childhood Illness Attitude Scales (CIAS). The CIAS is a 35-item self-report measure based on the Illness Attitudes Scales, designed for use with school-age children. The CIAS measures fears, beliefs, and attitudes associated with health anxiety and abnormal illness behavior in childhood.
Methods:
CIAS item responses for 201 school-age children were subjected to principal-components analysis with oblique rotation.
Results:
The CIAS was best conceptualized as comprising four factors: fears, help seeking, treatment experience, and symptom effects. Further factor analysis supported the notion that the CIAS can also be conceptualized as having a hierarchical structure, with four lower-order factors loading onto a single higher-order factor of health anxiety.
Conclusions:
Results suggest that the CIAS possesses good psychometric properties, including factorial validity and internal consistency, and appears to be a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring children's health anxiety.
Related Concept Videos
Self-Report Tests of Personality
Cattell's 16 Personality Factors
In contrast, source traits are the fundamental,...
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness, disability,...
The Influence of Cognition on Affect
Social Anxiety Disorder
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
