Agoraphobic, animal, death-injury-illness and social stimuli clusters as major elements in a four-dimensional taxonomy of self-rated fears: First-order level confirmatory evidence from an australian sample of anxiety disorder patients

In a recent review article, Arrindell, Pickersgill, Merckelbach, Ardon, and Cornet (1991) (Advances in Behaviour Research and Therapy, 13, 73–130) proposed an a priori four-dimensional categorization system for the description of self-rated fears on the basis of suggestions from previous reviews and research. The categories were described as: (I) Interpersonal events or situations, (II) Death, injuries, illness, blood and surgical procedures, (III) Animals, and (IV) Agoraphobia. While it has proven to be feasible to categorize fear factors/components derived in different empirical studies reliably into each of these categories, no confirmatory evidence is as yet available to support the factorial validity of the relevant dimensional system. Using the multiple-group method, clear evidence was found at the primary level for such in a sample of 398 anxiety disorder patients. In addition, the corresponding component scales were demonstrated to be highly consistent internally and to be moderately to highly intercorrelated, with none of the intercorrelations exceeding or even approaching the internal consistencies in magnitude — thus clearly indicating that a reliable distinction can be made between the four fear dimensions. The findings are discussed in relation to other classes of fear reactions described in the clinical-theoretical literature and to Endler's interactional model of personality. Following the line of research from the area of personality testing, it is, among other things, suggested that psychobiological, developmental, and behavioral-social studies should, in the future, be organized around the now well-established dimensions of fear described above.