A comparison of two spider fear questionnaires

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Specific phobias, like arachnophobia, significantly impact quality of life.
• Self-report measures are crucial for assessing the severity and nature of specific fears.
• Comparing the psychometric properties of different assessment tools is essential for clinical utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the psychometric properties of the Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ) and the Spider Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ).
• To evaluate the reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of both measures in assessing spider fear.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted to assess psychometric properties.
• Methods included evaluating test-retest stability, internal consistency, ability to differentiate between phobic and non-phobic groups, and correlation with other fear indices.
• Therapeutic change was assessed using both questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Both the FSQ and SPQ demonstrated adequate test-retest stability and internal consistency.
• Both instruments successfully differentiated between individuals with and without spider phobia.
• Both measures were sensitive to therapeutic changes and correlated with other subjective and behavioral indicators of spider fear.

Conclusions:

• The FSQ and SPQ are reliable and valid instruments for measuring spider fear.
• The FSQ may be superior for assessing fear in individuals not meeting full phobic criteria.
• The FSQ captures a distinct dimension of spider fear, specifically the fear of harm, providing additional clinical information.