TY - JOUR
T1 - The stability of fears in children
T2 - A two year prospective study: A research note
AU - Spence, S. H.
AU - McCathie, H.
PY - 1993
Y1 - 1993
N2 - This study investigated the stability of self-reported fears amongst 94 primary school children over a 2-year period using the Fear Survey Schedule for Children - Revised (FSSC-R). Children reported a decrease in fearfulness with increasing age, with girls reporting higher fear scores than boys on both occasions. The most frequently feared stimuli were almost identical for boys and girls and remained the same on both occasions, relating mainly to fears of danger, death and physical injury. Those fears that showed the greatest reduction over time concerned getting sick, parental criticism or punishment and the dark for girls, whereas boys reported the greatest reductions in fears relating to physical injury, parental criticism, the dark and unfamiliar persons. The only fear stimulus to increase with age was 'giving a spoken report', which was rated as more fearful by boys on the second occasion. Children identified as unusually fearful at Time 1, were much more likely to report high fear levels two years later, compared to children who did not report high fear levels at Time 1.
AB - This study investigated the stability of self-reported fears amongst 94 primary school children over a 2-year period using the Fear Survey Schedule for Children - Revised (FSSC-R). Children reported a decrease in fearfulness with increasing age, with girls reporting higher fear scores than boys on both occasions. The most frequently feared stimuli were almost identical for boys and girls and remained the same on both occasions, relating mainly to fears of danger, death and physical injury. Those fears that showed the greatest reduction over time concerned getting sick, parental criticism or punishment and the dark for girls, whereas boys reported the greatest reductions in fears relating to physical injury, parental criticism, the dark and unfamiliar persons. The only fear stimulus to increase with age was 'giving a spoken report', which was rated as more fearful by boys on the second occasion. Children identified as unusually fearful at Time 1, were much more likely to report high fear levels two years later, compared to children who did not report high fear levels at Time 1.
KW - Children
KW - Fears
KW - Longitudinal study
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0027311880&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1993.tb01037.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1993.tb01037.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 8509495
AN - SCOPUS:0027311880
VL - 34
SP - 579
EP - 585
JO - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
JF - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
SN - 0021-9630
IS - 4
ER -