ASSESSMENT OF ANXIETY IN ADOLESCENTS - CONCURRENT AND FACTORIAL VALIDITIES OF THE TRAIT ANXIETY SCALE OF SPIELBERGER STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY FOR CHILDREN

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent and factorial validities of the Trait Anxiety scale of Spielberger's State-Trait An xiety Inventory for Children when given to 157 adolescents. Using a ra ndomly selected subsample of 88, correlations between total and factor scores on the children's inventory and on the Revised Children's Mani fest Anxiety Scale were statistically significant but lower than those reported previously for children. Principal component analyses of the se adolescents' scores on the Trait Anxiety scale of the children's in ventory replicated previous factor analytic studies of this inventory administered to children. Total scores for these adolescents on the ch ildren's and adults' Form Y inventories were only moderately correlate d. rs between the two sets of factor scores were low. These findings r aise the question of whether the Trait Anxiety scale of the children's inventory when completed by adolescents measures the same construct o f trait anxiety as the adult inventory. Researchers must evaluate furt her the validity of the children's inventory Trait Anxiety scale when administered to adolescents.