Factor analysis of the fear survey schedule with phobics

Abstract

PROBLEMAlthough there exist several versions of the Fear Survey Schedule, the 76-item version (FSS 111) appears to have had the greatest use with clinical populations. I n addition, since i t is contained in Wolpe and Lazarus'C4) book on behavior therapy techniques, it seems probable that this wiIl be the form most frequently used in clinical practice. Accordingly, it is important to accumulate information about its psychometric characteristics when applied t o a variety of clinical populations.Several efforts in this direction have been reported recently. Rothstein, Holmes and B~b l i t t '~) conducted a factor analytic study of FSS I11 that used a mixed psychiatric population of both sexes. This resulted in the extraction of 16 factors that accounted for S6% of the total variance. Bates"), who utilized a somewhat narrower psychiatric sample that consisted of 100 neurotic male veterans, factored FSS I11 and obtained 17 factors that accounted for 77% of the variance. While the above two studies served to extend the psychometric information that concerns FSS I11 to psychiatric populations in general, there is no reason t o believe that the factor structures delineated by these authors would apply to Ss whose primary problem was fear. This study examined whether the interrelationship of fears reported by a phobic group was similar to those previously reported for more general psychiatric populations. METHODSubjects. Since clinically phobic Ss are relatively rare in hospital populations, recruiting for the present study was achieved by means of a direct approach t o the community. The senior author utilized local TV and radio facilities to outline how people who suffer from specific fears may be helped by means of desensitization. Anyone interested was asked t o phone or write, and to those who did an FSS I11 was mailed for completion. I n this way 115 questionnaires were obtained, and these formed the basic material for the present report. Ninety-five were returned by females and 20 by males. Only 5 questionnaires sent out were not returned.The 8s' mean age was 28.7 years (SD = 9.3). No formal attempt was made to elicit past psychiatric history; however, informal discussions over the telephone indicated that the effects of the fears experienced by the Ss varied all the way from mild t o severe. I n the former category were mild fears of flying or driving and in the latter were several Ss whose fear of open spaces was so great that they had not been able to venture out of the home for several years. I n general, the study sample may be described as a non-hospitalized one in which specific fears were considered by the Ss themselves to be of sufficient severity for them t o consider seriously an offer of treatment.Procedure. All Ss who expressed an interest in the study were mailed an FSS 111. Each of the 76 items therein was rated for fear on a scale of severity that ranged from 1 to 5. The test protocols for each of the 115 Ss then were key-punched to prepare the data for the computer. A 79 X 79 intercorrelation mat...

Structure of anxiety and the anxiety disorders: A hierarchical model.

“…Specifically, the three ASI subscales appear to converge reasonably well with the structures reported by Telch, Shermis, and Lucas (1989); Wardle, Ahmad, and Hayward (1990);and Taylor, Koch, McNally, and Crockett (1992). The first three of the FSS-II subscales correspond quite closely to the Fear of Death and Illness, Social Fear, and Fear of Animals factors identified in each of the two previous factor analyses of the FSS-II (Bernstein & Allen, 1969;Rubin, Katkin, Weiss, & Efran, 1968); in addition, factors corresponding to the last three FSS-II subscales have been identified in factor analyses of other versions of the FSS (Arrindell, 1980;Bates, 1971;Hallam & Hafner, 1978;Lawlis, 1971;Meikle & Mitchell, 1974;Oei, Cavallo, & Evans, 1987;Rothstein, Holmes, & Boblitt, 1972). The three interpretable MOC factors identified in our sample appear to converge reasonably well with the first three factors identified by Rachman and Hodgson (1980) and the three factor solutions reported by Chan (1990) and Sanavio and Vidotto (1985).…”

The structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for fears and phobias

“…The past 40 years have seen a range of factor analyses of self-reported fears with varying results (Rothstein et al . 1972; Meikle & Mitchell, 1974; Hallam & Hafner, 1978; Mellon, 2000; Muris & Ollendick, 2002; Cox et al . 2003; Fisher et al .…”

A topography of 21 phobic fears: network analysis in an epidemiological sample of adult twins

“…Over the last centuries, many attempts have been made to categorize the large and diverse group of irrational human fears and phobias (Berrios, 1996; Marks, 1987). More recently, many factor analyses of self-reported fears have been published with varying results (Cox, McWilliams, Clara, & Stein, 2003; Fisher, Schaefer, Watkins, Worrell, & Hall, 2006; Hallam & Hafner, 1978; Meikle & Mitchell, 1974; Mellon, 2000; Muris & Ollendick, 2002; Rothstein, Boblitt, & Holmes, 1972).…”