The discrimination of children's phobias using the revised fear survey schedule for children

The discriminant validity of children's and parents' ratings of the child's fear on the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R; Ollendick, 1983) was examined using a clinic sample of children who met DSM criteria f or phobic disorders (N = 120). Discriminant function analyses and item anal yses were conducted to determine if children meeting diagnostic criteria fo r a primary disorder of social phobia, simple phobia of the dark/sleeping a lone, simple phobia of animals, or a simple phobia of shots/doctors could b e differentiated on the basis of FSSC-R subscale scores and items. Results of the discriminant function analyses indicated that the child-completed as well as the parent-completed FSSC-Rs were similarly useful in differentiat ing the specific types of phobias. Results of the item analyses indicated t hat child-completed FSSC-R items could discriminate among the different sim ple phobias but not social phobia and that parent-completed FSSC-R items co uld discriminate not only the different simple phobias but also social phob ia. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of the FSSC-R in the asse ssment of clinically significant fears in children with phobic disorders an d the relative utility of child and parent ratings in the assessment of chi ldhood fears.