ASSESSMENT OF CHILDHOOD SOCIAL PHOBIA - CONSTRUCT, CONVERGENT, AND DISCRIMINATIVE VALIDITY OF THE SOCIAL PHOBIA AND ANXIETY INVENTORY FOR CHILDREN (SPAI-C)

The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C) has show n initial promise to assess, childhood social fears. In this study, co nvergent validity was determined by comparing scores on the SPAI-C to daily diary ratings of social distress. Social phobic children scored significantly higher on the SPAI-C, reported more distressing events, and rated these events as more distressful when compared with normal p eers. A positive relationship was found between SPAI-C scores and dail y diary ratings. Discriminative validity was determined by comparing S PAI-C scores of social phobic children with normal controls and childr en with externalizing disorders. The SPAI-C successfully differentiate d children with social phobia from those with externalizing disorders or no disorder. Finally, internal consistency and factor analytic outc ome data are presented. Results are discussed in terms of the SPAI-C's usefulness as a clinical and research tool.