List of Parent Report Emotion Measures
Available NIH Toolbox® Parent Report Emotion Measures for Children (Ages 3-12)
|
Parent Report Domains |
Definition | CAT (# items in bank) |
Fixed Form (# items) |
| Negative Affect | |||
| Anger | Attitudes of hostility and cynicism often associated with experiences of frustration impeding goal-directed behavior. |
Ages 3-7: Ages 8-12: |
|
| Fear/Anxiety | Symptoms of anxiety that reflect autonomic arousal and perceptions of threat. | Ages 8-12: ♦ (10) |
Ages 3-7: (6) |
| Fear/Separation Anxiety | Fear of being separated from home and from loved ones. | Ages 3-7: (7) |
|
|
Sadness/Depression |
Low levels of positive affect; comprised of symptoms that are primarily affective (poor mood) and cognitive (negative perceptions of self, the world, and the future) indicators of depression. |
Ages 3-7: Ages 8-12: |
|
| Psychological Well-Being | |||
| Positive Affect | Feelings that reflect a level of pleasurable engagement with the environment, such as happiness, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment. |
Ages 3-7: Ages 8-12: |
|
| Life Satisfaction | One’s cognitive evaluation of life experiences and whether one likes his/her life or not. | (5) | |
| Stress & Self-Efficacy | |||
| Perceived Stress | Perceptions about the nature of events and their relationship to the values and coping resources of an individual. | Ages 8-12: ♦ (10) |
|
| Self-Efficacy | A person’s belief in his/her capacity to manage functioning and have control over meaningful events. | Ages 8-12: ♦ (10) |
|
| Social Relationships | |||
| Social Withdrawal | Perceptions that one is alone, lonely, or socially isolated from others. | (4) | |
| Positive Peer Interactions | The extent to which a child plays with friends and gets along with peers. | (4) | |
| Peer Rejection | The extent to which an individual perceives his/her daily social interactions as negative or distressing. This can include aspects of perceived hostility (e.g., how often people argue with me, yell at me, or criticize me) and perceived insensitivity (e.g., how often people don’t listen when I ask for help, or don’t pay attention to me). | (9) | |
| Empathic Behaviors | Parent’s evaluation of their children’s empathic behaviors. | ♦ (10) |
|
♦ Measure is derived from a calibrated item bank.
Table last updated on 10/06/2025
NIH Toolbox Parent Proxy Emotion Battery
- A set of measures that can be administered within the NIH Toolbox iPad app
- Completed in about 30 minutes
- Parents report for children (ages 3-12)
- Measures of Positive Affect, General Life Satisfaction, Positive Peer Interaction, Social Withdrawal, Peer Rejection, Empathic Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, Fear, Perceived Stress, Sadness, and Anger.
Last updated on 7/25/2025