The Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Second Editio

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

• Ease in administration,
• taking scoring, timing
• Language level
• Multiple Languages
• Norming Sample
• Audio Component
• Trait (vs. State)

Limitations

Multicultural

Considerations

• yes/no ... severity
• yes/no can be anxiety provoking
• Lacks a built in measure for someone acting anxious when they’re not
• Does anxiety present itself across all cultures in the same way?
• No time frame for symptoms
• T-scores not broken down by gender

• Options when reporting demographics
• Translated into multiple Languages

Sample Scores

• Second norming study for minorities: seeking a more meaningful mean!
• 3,086 children
• 874 African American/Black
• 495 Latino/Hispanic
• 1,369 other
• No significant or meaningful

differences

Margaux (took as an anxious child)

• Raw Score 32
• T-score
• DEF 3
• INC 0

Emily (as a non-anxious child)

• Raw Score 18
• T-score
• DEF 0
• INC 2

Test Construction

Target Population

Children and Adolescents aged 6-19

Norming Sample

• Scoring categories normed in various age groups: 6-8, 9-14, 15-19
• 2,368 individuals aged 6-19 representative of the US population in terms of gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status
• Geographical breakdown
• 23% NE, 25% MW, 33% S, 20% W
• Little to no impact of demographic factors

Validity

• All of the research discussed is regarded as fundamentally relevant to the validity of the RCMAS-2 scores because of the substantial overlap between the two forms – 89% of the RCMAS items are retained in the RCMAS-2

High correlation (r = .85, p < .001) between the RCMAS and the STAIC Trait Scale (1980)

Reliability

• .92 (improved over RCMAS)
• Each subscale varies between .75 and .86

The Basics

Research regarding Multiculturalism

• 49 item self-report instrument designed to assess the level and nature of anxiety in children and adolescents ages 6-19

• Each response is “yes” or “no”
• Very easy and quick to admnister

• Developed in the SE United States and created based on a sample of about 300 children and adolescents - * this is not the norming sample

Use

• Level B assessment

• Can be administered in school settings, clinical settings, & private practice settings

Can the RCMAS-2 be used to diagnose?

“The RACMAS-2 is designed to be useful in helping gauge a child’s or adolescent’s overall level of anxiety. It is not designed to assist in placing the child into one or another anxiety-related diagnostic subcategory.” (p. 17)

Comorbidities!

• Mansoor & Ahmad (2010) Research on the reliability of the short term RCMAS-2 in Pakistan

• Ang, Lowe, & Yusof (2011) Research on the use of RCMAS-2 U.S. norms with Singaporean children

Scoring Procedure

Subscales

• Raw Score
• Subscales
• T-score
• Short Form

PHY - physiological anxiety

WOR - worry

SOC - social anxiety

TOT - total anxiety

Inconsistent Responding Index (INC)

DEF (Defensiveness)

Conclusion & Implications

Lowe, 2012

References

The Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Second Edition

(RCMAS-2)

Lowe, P. A. (2014). A Closer Look at the

Psychometric Properties of the Revised Children. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 1-14. doi: 10.1177/0734282914528611

Ang, R. P., Lowe, P. A., & Yusof, N. (2011). An

Examination of the RCMAS-2 Scores Across Gender, Ethnic Background, and Age in a Large Asian School Sample. Psychological Assessment, 23(4), 899-910. doi: 10.1037/a0023891

Mansoor, I., & Ahmad, R. (2010). Reliability

Assessment of the Short Form of Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS-2) in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Psychology, 41(1), 3-13.

Reynolds, C.R., & Richmond, B.O. (2008). Revised

Chilren's Manifest Anxiety Scale: Second Edition. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

RCMAS-2 is a great instrument for mental health professionals to use in the assessment of those students who experience moderate to high levels of anxiety

• Splitting up the factors can help with treatment planning
• High score on the Social Anxiety dimension = social skills training
• High score on the Worry dimension = CBT
• High score on the Physiological Anxiety dimension = Mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation training

What does the research say?

• Lowe (2012) Research study on psychometric properties of the RCMAS-2 and Gender
• Sample: 1,003 U.S. children ages 7 to 19 (Grades 2-12)
• 45.8% males and 54.2%females
• Ethnic/racial composition
• Analyzed gender differences
• Findings...

Emily

Margaux

& Chelsea