title: Psychometric evaluation of the Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale in patients with social anxiety disorder.
abstract: The Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale (FPES; J. W. Weeks, R. G. Heimberg, & T. L. Rodebaugh, 2008) was designed to assess fear of positive evaluation, a proposed cognitive component of social anxiety. Although previous findings on the psychometric properties of the FPES have been highly encouraging, only 1 previous study has examined the psychometric profile of the FPES in a sample of patients with social anxiety disorder (T. A. Fergus et al., 2009). The primary purpose of the present study was to conduct a large multisite examination of the psychometric profile of the FPES among patients with a principal diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (n = 226; generalized subtype = 97.8%). Responses of nonanxious control participants (n = 42) were also examined. The factorial validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and treatment sensitivity of the FPES were strongly supported by our findings. Furthermore, an FPES cutoff score was identified for distinguishing levels of fear of positive evaluation characteristic of patients with social anxiety disorder from those characteristic of the control group. Results provide additional support for the psychometric properties of the FPES in clinical samples.
authors.affiliation: Center for Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety, Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA. weeksj@ohio.edu
authors.forename: Justin W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Heimberg
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Rodebaugh
authors.forename: Philippe R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Goldin
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*