Assessing Children's fears with regard to specific developmental perspectives: the path test

It has been scientifically demonstrated that the study and consideration of situations experienced by children of pre-school age in respect of specific developmental fears can be associated with the wide range of difficulties related to specific development tasks. The aim of this paper is to present a tool which was produced in order to allow for the analysis of experiences related to the different developmental fears, by making it possible for the subject to elicit them using a graphic stimulus. The Path Test presents the respondent with a choice, illustrated by a picture on an A4 sheet, between five different options, which all restul in getting home. According to the author's hypothesis, these options are associated with specific developmental aspect. The data presented in this paper are the first results of the validation of this instrument. Reference is made to a preliminary study conducted in order to verify the validity of the emotional-affection criterion; here the latter is associated with the attachment bond to the caregiver and to friendship relations.