Castaneda, et al. revised the Taylor Anxiety Scale for use with children. The Taylor Scale was adapted from the Minnesota Multiphastic Personality Inventory, with item selection based upon clinical definitions of anxiety. There is much research evidence to validate the use of the instrument in differentiating individuals who are likely to manifest anxiety in varying degrees. Reliability and validation work with the Children's Anxiety Scale by Castaneda, et al. demonstrated results closely similar to the findings with the adult scale. Although the Taylor Scale was designed as a group testing device, in this study it was individually administered by psychologically trained workers who established rapport and assisted the children in reading the items.

The question may be raised whether or not we are dealing with a common factor in anxiety and compulsivity. The two ratings yield a correlation of +.04, which is not significantly different from zero; therefore, we have measured two different characteristics. In theory, compulsive behavior is a way of diminishing anxiety, and one might expect a negative association except for the possibility that for many children the obsessive-compulsive defenses are not sufficient to quell the amount of anxiety they suffer. The issue of interaction between anxiety and compulsivity will be taken up later.

In the primary grades, reading permeates almost every aspect of school progress, and the children's early experiences of success or failure in learning to read often set a pattern of total achievement that is relatively enduring throughout the following years. In establishing criterion measurements, it was therefore thought best to broaden the scope beyond the reading act itself. The predicted interaction effect should, if potent, extend its influence over all academic achievement.