Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Fear Incubation Using an Extended Fear-Conditioning Protocol for Rats

Fear Incubation Using an Extended Fear-Conditioning Protocol for Rats

Published on: August 22, 2020

The Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) Does it Really Measure Fear Beliefs?

Lene Aasdahl^1,2, Gunn Hege Marchand^3,4, Sigmund Østgård Gismervik^1,3

¹Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

|August 16, 2019

Abstract

Study Design:

A cohort study with 12 months of follow-up.

Objective:

To assess (1) the unidimensionality of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) and (2) whether single questions in the FABQ predict future sickness absence as well as the whole scale.

Summary Of Background Data:

The fear-avoidance model is a leading model in describing the link between musculoskeletal pain and chronic disability. However, reported measurement properties have been inconsistent regarding the FABQ.

Methods:

Individuals (n = 722) sick listed due to musculoskeletal, unspecified or common mental health disorders undergoing rehabilitation was included. A Rasch analysis was applied to evaluate the measurement properties of FABQ and its two subscales (physical activity and work). Linear regression was used to assess how well single items predicted future sickness absence.

Results:

The Rasch analysis did not support the FABQ or its two subscales representing a unidimensional construct. The 7-point scoring of the items was far too fine meshed and in the present population the data only supported a yes or no or a 3-point response option. The items were invariant to age, whereas two of the items revealed sex differences. The item "I do not think that I will be back to my normal work within 3 months" was the best predictor of future sickness absence. Adding the item "I should not do my regular work with my present pain" improved the prediction model slightly.

Conclusion:

The FABQ is not a good measure of fear-avoidance beliefs about work or physical activity, and the predictive property of the FABQ questionnaire is most likely related to expectations rather than fear. Based on these results we do not recommend using the FABQ to measure fear-avoidance beliefs.

Level Of Evidence:

1.

More Related Videos

Trace Fear Conditioning in Mice

Trace Fear Conditioning in Mice

Published on: March 20, 2014

Modulation of the Neurophysiological Response to Fearful and Stressful Stimuli Through Repetitive Religious Chanting

Modulation of the Neurophysiological Response to Fearful and Stressful Stimuli Through Repetitive Religious Chanting

Published on: November 4, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Groupthink

Groupthink

When in group settings, we are often influenced by the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors around us. Groupthink is another phenomenon of conformity where modification of the opinions of members in a group aligns with what they believe is the group consensus (Janis, 1972). In such situations, the group often takes action that individuals would not perform outside the group setting because groups make more extreme decisions than individuals do. Moreover, groupthink can hinder opposing trains of...

Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance

Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance

Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the...

Milgram's Obedience to Authority

Milgram's Obedience to Authority

Obedience to authority is classically demonstrated in a more famous series of social psychology experiments performed by Stanley Milgram. He was a social psychology professor at Yale who was influenced by the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi war criminal. Eichmann’s defense for the atrocities he committed was that he was “just following orders.”

Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies

Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies

When we hold a stereotype about a person, we have expectations that he or she will fulfill that stereotype. A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation held by a person that alters his or her behavior in a way that tends to make it true. When we hold stereotypes about a person, we tend to treat the person according to our expectations. This treatment can influence the person to act according to our stereotypic expectations, thus confirming our stereotypic beliefs. Research by Rosenthal and...

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...

Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant

Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant

Narcissistic and avoidant personality traits represent two contrasting patterns of behavior that significantly influence social interactions and self-perception. While individuals with narcissistic disorder seek admiration and validation, individuals with avoidant personality disorder withdraw due to fear of judgment.
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Effectiveness of an artificial intelligence-based self-management intervention to support sick-listed individuals with musculoskeletal disorders in Norway: rationale and protocol for the SmaRTWork randomised controlled trial.

BMJ open·2026

Rehabilitation and Outcomes in Patients after Traumatic Brain Injury Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: Results from the CENTER-TBI Study.

Neurotrauma reports·2026

The impact of persistent post-concussion symptoms and exercise intolerance on patient-specific functioning after mild traumatic brain injury: a biopsychosocial perspective.

Journal of rehabilitation medicine·2026

Prolonged Prescription Rates of Z-Hypnotics Among Individuals with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Insomnia: The HUNT Study.

Nature and science of sleep·2026

Work demands and physical activity in hospital employees with different degrees of musculoskeletal pain: descriptive data from the STUNTH study, Norway.

BMC musculoskeletal disorders·2026

Effects of an individualized and goal-oriented intervention in the chronic phase of pediatric acquired brain injury: the Child in Context Intervention (CICI)-a randomized controlled trial.

BMC pediatrics·2026

See all related articles