The nature of feared outcome representations in children

The present study investigated the way in which feared outcomes are organized in long-term memory in children and adolescents. A list of items relating to threatening outcomes, originally generated by children, was given to an additional 560 children (aged 6 to 16) and rated for the degree to which they worried about each. Factor analysis revealed two interpretable factors of feared outcomes. The first factor centered on concerns about physical harm while the second factor centered on social consequences that children and adolescents worry about. The two factors were consistent across gender, age, and clinical status. A scale involving the maximally discriminating items showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability.The authors would like to thank Paula Barrett, Mark Dadds and the people from the Child Anxiety Project for access to anxious children.