A Developmental Analysis of Mothers' Reports of Normal Children's Fears

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Factor analyses of mothers' ratings of children's fears yielded five oblique primary factors and a higher-order general fearfulness factor at each of three age levels between 6 and 16 years. The primary factors were labeled Physical Injury, Animals, School-Related, Night Fears, and Fear of Public Places. Congruence Coefficients, computed between similarly-named factors, ranged from .77 to .95, thus suggesting stability in the content of children's fears across this age range. Regression analyses indicated age-related decreases in the frequency of fears of Animals, Night, and Public Places, as well as an increase in School-Related fears. Low social class children had more Physical Injury but fewer School-Related fears than high social class children. Girls were reported to have more fears of Physical Injury, Animals, Night Fears, and Public Places.

This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit: