Contribution to the analysis of two instruments measuring fear

Vidaković, Tea. (2011). Contribution to the analysis of two instruments measuring fear . Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology. [mentor Lauri Korajlija, Anita].

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Abstract

The aim of this study was a comparative analysis of the most intense fear in adult participants of the measured FSS-III and Table fears and determination of age and gender differences in the results obtained in Table of fears. Testing was conducted on 1218 adult participants (602 men and 616 women). The results showed that different phobic stimuli were obtained when participants filled the FSS-III, and another when they should write what they fear the most (fulfilling Table of fear). Three fears are present in both methods of measuring, fear of heights, snakes and failure. It turned out that women have intense fears than men, phobic stimuli are more interfering and they invest more effort in avoiding these stimuli than men (disruption t =- 6.79, p <.01; avoiding t =- 4:13, p <.01). Among the top ten phobic stimuli six were the same and four were gender-specific. Differences in the disruption and to avoiding six common stimuli are partially relevant. Significantly higher disruption was in the female participants for fear of illness (t =- 3:54, p <.01), death (t =- 4047, p <.01), snake (t =- 2817, p <.01), failure (t =- 3097, p <.01) while in avoiding the common stimuli was no significant differences. By analyzing the ways in which fear has been acquired we noticed that the fear of animals and the natural environment are always present, while social and situational fears and fears of a blood-injection injury are learned. Throughout all age groups fears of disease, height, snakes, violence are stable. Increasing with age are fears related to bodily integrity, while the social fears and fear of death decrease.

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