The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Phobic Situations (SEQ-SP): Development and Psychometric Evaluation

Abstract

The 13-item Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Specific Phobias (SEQ-SP) was developed as a measure of perceived ability to cope with phobic symptoms when approaching feared stimuli. This study examined the psychometric properties of the SEQ-SP in a sample of 43 Australian children and adolescents aged 7 through to 17 years. Participants met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for a specific phobia. Exploratory factor analysis yielded two reliable subscales labelled Cognitive/Physiological Efficacy and Behavioural Efficacy. A confirmatory cluster analysis revealed the possibility of three ad hoc clusters comprising of cognitive, physiological and behavioural classifications. Results furthermore provided preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the SEQ-SP. Psychometric evaluation revealed excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Additionally, results indicated that higher SEQ-SP scores were significantly correlated with lower scores on the Child Anxiety Sensitivity Index and higher scores on the Behavioural Avoidance Test, displaying evidence of moderate to excellent construct validity. This new self-report measure has a potentially useful role in clinical work and research with children and adolescents presenting with a specific phobia. Subsequent research examining the clinical utility of the SEQ-SP to predict treatment outcome is discussed.