Evaluating social fears in late adolescence: Study with a Portuguese sample

Abstract

This work intends to psychometrically evaluate a measure of social fears for late adolescents, who may differently perceive social fear stimulus. A community sample of 794 late adolescents was recruited and assessed, using the Social Anxiety and Avoidance Scale for Adolescents. Internal structure analysis indicates that late adolescents adopt a unique perspective on social experiences. Internal consistency and convergent validity relating to thoughts typical of social anxiety were found. The instrument may be useful for evaluating social fears throughout adolescence.

Keywords::

• Social anxiety
• Late adolescence
• Evaluation
• Psychometrics

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant given by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, with the reference [SFRH/BD/29574/2006].