Relation of fear of negative evaluation by others to the adjustment of early adolescents

Abstract

The purposes of the present study were to develop a scale to assess fear of negative evaluation by others, and to examine the scale's reliability and validity, as well as to investigate the relation between fear of negative evaluation by others and adjustment. Fifth- through ninth-grade students N = 585 participated in Study 1. The results indicated that the Fear of Negative Evaluation by Others Scale consisted of 3 subscales: fear of negative evaluation by friends, fear of negative evaluation by parents, and fear of negative evaluation by teachers. The results also confirmed the reliability and validity of the scale. Fifth- through ninth-grade students N = 1,226 participated in Study 2. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the 3 subscales were differentially related to indices of maladjustment, and that the fear of negative evaluation by friends was especially related to a wide range of indices of maladjustment. The results also suggested that the fear of negative evaluation by teachers restrained the antisocial tendencies of the boys when they were in school. Thus, interventions that reduce the fear of negative evaluation by others might not always be an ideal strategy.