Dataset Information

The German Version of the Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale (GARS): Reliability and Validity.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Fear of eye gaze and avoidance of eye contact are core features of social anxiety disorders (SAD). To measure self-reported fear and avoidance of eye gaze, the Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale (GARS) has been developed and validated in recent years in its English version. The main objectives of the present study were to psychometrically evaluate the German translation of the GARS concerning its reliability, factorial structure, and validity.

Methods

Three samples of participants were enrolled in the study. (1) A non-patient sample (n = 353) completed the GARS and a set of trait questionnaires to assess internal consistency, test-retest reliability, factorial structure, and concurrent and divergent validity. (2) A sample of patients with SAD (n = 33) was compared to a healthy control group (n = 30) regarding their scores on the GARS and the trait measures.

Results

The German GARS fear and avoidance scales exhibited excellent internal consistency and high stability over 2 and 4 months, as did the original version. The English version's factorial structure was replicated, yielding two categories of situations: (1) everyday situations and (2) situations involving high evaluative threat. GARS fear and avoidance displayed convergent validity with trait measures of social anxiety and were markedly higher in patients with GSAD than in healthy controls. Fear and avoidance of eye contact in situations involving high levels of evaluative threat related more closely to social anxiety than to gaze anxiety in everyday situations.

Conclusions

The German version of the GARS has demonstrated reliability and validity similar to the original version, and is thus well suited to capture fear and avoidance of eye contact in different social situations as a valid self-report measure of social anxiety and related disorders in the social domain for use in both clinical practice and research.

SUBMITTER: Domes G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4777438 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

The German Version of the Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale (GARS): Reliability and Validity.

Domes Gregor G Marx Lisa L Spenthof Ines I Heinrichs Markus M

PloS one 20160303 3

<h4>Objective</h4>Fear of eye gaze and avoidance of eye contact are core features of social anxiety disorders (SAD). To measure self-reported fear and avoidance of eye gaze, the Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale (GARS) has been developed and validated in recent years in its English version. The main objectives of the present study were to psychometrically evaluate the German translation of the GARS concerning its reliability, factorial structure, and validity.<h4>Methods</h4>Three samples of participant ...[more]

PMID: 26937638

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Project description:BackgroundThe Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) is a commonly used outcome tool, which helps to identify the adherence rate of exercises and reasons for adherence and non-adherence. There is no evidence of the availability of any measurement tools to assess exercise adherence in the Nepalese context and cultural background. Therefore, we conducted a cross-cultural adaptation of the EARS into the Nepali language and investigated its reliability and validity.MethodsCross-cultural adaptation of the EARS was done based on Beaton guidelines. Psychometric properties were evaluated among 18 participants aged 18 years or older with pre-diabetes or confirmed diagnosis of any disease who were prescribed with home exercises by physiotherapists. Any disease that limited participants from doing exercise and individuals unwilling to participate were excluded. Reliability was evaluated through internal consistency, using Cronbach's alpha. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed to explore construct validity and confirm its unidimensionality. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was analyzed to identify cut-off score, sensitivity and specificity of the tool.ResultsThe Cronbach's alpha was 0.94 for EARS-adherence behavior. The EFA of 6-items adherence behavior revealed the presence of one factor with an eigenvalue exceeding one. The scree-plot suggested for extraction of only one factor with strong loading (75.84%). The Area Under the Curve was 0.91 with 95% confidence interval 0.77-1.00 at p = 0.004. The cutoff score was found 17.5 with 89% sensitivity and 78% specificity.ConclusionsThe EARS was cross-culturally adapted to the Nepali language. The reliability and construct validity of the Nepali version of the EARS were acceptable to assess exercise adherence in Nepali-speaking individuals. This validated tool might facilitate the evaluation of exercise-related interventions. Future studies could investigate other psychometric properties of the Nepali EARS.

Dataset Information

The German Version of the Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale (GARS): Reliability and Validity.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

The German Version of the Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale (GARS): Reliability and Validity.

Similar Datasets

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