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Spider phobia questionnaire for children (SPQ-C): a psychometric study and normative data
M Kindt1, J F Brosschot, P Muris
1Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|March 1, 1996
Summary
A new questionnaire, the Spider Phobia Questionnaire for Children (SPQ-C), reliably measures spider fear in children aged 8-12. This validated tool accurately predicts behavioral responses, aiding in the assessment of arachnophobia.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychometric Assessment
Background:
- Spider phobia is a common specific phobia in children.
- Existing assessment tools may not be suitable for pediatric populations.
- A validated measure is needed to assess spider fear in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Spider Phobia Questionnaire for Children (SPQ-C).
- To adapt an adult spider phobia questionnaire for use in children.
- To establish reliability and validity in non-clinical child samples.
Main Methods:
- Adapted the Spider Phobia Questionnaire for adults into the SPQ-C for children aged 8-12.
- Administered the SPQ-C to two large non-clinical samples (N=586 and N=669).
- Assessed test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and predictive validity using a Behavioural Approach Test (BAT).
Main Results:
- The SPQ-C demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
- SPQ-C scores significantly predicted performance on the Behavioural Approach Test.
- Normative data for the SPQ-C were established based on the total sample.
Conclusions:
- The SPQ-C is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing spider fear in children.
- The questionnaire is suitable for use in clinical and research settings involving pediatric arachnophobia.
- Findings support the use of the SPQ-C for identifying and understanding childhood spider fear.