Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
10:32
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
The Dutch Claustrophobia Questionnaire: psychometric properties and predictive validity
Ilse Van Diest1, Dirk Smits, Davina Decremer
1Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Ilse.VanDiest@psy.kuleuven.be
Journal of Anxiety Disorders
|June 19, 2010
Summary
The Dutch Claustrophobia Questionnaire (CLQ) is a reliable tool for assessing claustrophobic fear, validated in two studies. It accurately measures fear of suffocation and restriction in claustrophobic situations.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Claustrophobia is often linked to fears of suffocation and restriction.
- The Claustrophobia Questionnaire (CLQ) assesses these underlying fears.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the psychometric properties and predictive validity of a Dutch version of the CLQ.
- To establish the CLQ as a reliable instrument for assessing claustrophobic fear in a Dutch-speaking population.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Psychometric properties of the Dutch CLQ were assessed in 363 students using the CLQ and other questionnaires.
- Study 2: Predictive validity was tested in 23 participants exposed to claustrophobic situations, measuring fear and respiratory reactivity.
Main Results:
- The Dutch CLQ demonstrated a confirmed two-factor structure and good psychometric properties.
- The Dutch CLQ significantly predicted fear and respiratory reactivity during exposure to claustrophobic scenarios.
Conclusions:
- The Dutch version of the CLQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing claustrophobic fear.
- The CLQ effectively measures fear related to suffocation and restriction in claustrophobia.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Self-Report Tests of Personality
Self-report inventories are objective personality assessments that use multiple-choice items or numbered scales, typically ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). They are often called Likert scales after Rensis Likert. These inventories are widely used due to their ease of administration and cost-effectiveness. One of the most prominent examples is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), initially developed in the 1940s to assess abnormal personality traits.
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
01:24Cattell's 16 Personality Factors
Raymond Cattell's trait theory offers a structured framework for understanding personality by distinguishing between two critical traits: surface and source traits. Surface traits are observable patterns of behavior, such as indecisiveness, anxiety, and irrational fears. These traits are less stable, varying across situations and over time. This means that they are less helpful in understanding the deeper aspects of an individual's personality.
In contrast, source traits are the fundamental,...
In contrast, source traits are the fundamental,...
01:29Reliability and Validity
Reliability and validity are two important considerations that must be made with any type of data collection. Reliability refers to the ability to consistently produce a given result. In the context of psychological research, this would mean that any instruments or tools used to collect data do so in consistent, reproducible ways.