Behavioral Validation of the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index in Children

Brian Rabian, Leanne Embry, Daniel MacIntyre

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

92 Scopus citations

Abstract

Examined the construct validity of the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI) in young children through the use of a behavioral challenge task. Elementary-school children completed the CASI as well as self-report measures of state and trait anxiety and subjective fear prior to and immediately following a stair-stepping task designed to increase physiological arousal. Results indicate that the CASI was a significant predictor of the degree of state anxiety and subjective fear reported in response to the challenge task, even after controlling for pretask levels of state anxiety and fear, respectively. Additionally, the CASI predicted changes in fear experienced in response to the challenge task. The findings lend support to the validity of the CASI in preadolescent children and suggest that the CASIpossesses unique clinical utility relative to measures of trait anxiety. However, results of this study must be interpreted cautiously, because a large portion of the variance in response to arousal was left unaccounted for by the CASI and the overall model.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)105-112
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
Volume28
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1999
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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