The discriminant validity of children's and parents' ratings of the child's fear on the Revised
Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R; Ollendick, 1983) was examined using a clinic
sample of children who met DSM criteria for phobic disorders (N=120). Discriminant
function analyses and item analyses were conducted to determine if children meeting
diagnostic criteria for a primary disorder of social phobia, simple phobia of the dark/sleeping
alone, simple phobia of animals, or a simple phobia of shots/doctors could be differentiated
on the basis of FSSC-R subscale scores and items. Results of the discriminant function
analyses indicated that the child-completed as well as the parent-completed FSSC-Rs were
similarly useful in differentiating the specific types of phobias. Results of the item analyses
indicated that child-completed FSSC-R items could discriminate among the different simple
phobias but not social phobia and that parent-completed FSSC-R items could discriminate
not only the different simple phobias but also social phobia. Results are discussed in terms
of the utility of the FSSC-R in the assessment of clinically significant fears in children with
phobic disorders and the relative utility of child and parent ratings in the assessment of
childhood fears.