Phobic Stimuli Response Scale (PSRS)

Abstract

The Phobic Stimuli Response Scale (PSRS) is a comprehensive 46-item self-report scale designed to measure the intensity of common phobic fears. Developed by Cutshall and Watson (2004), the instrument assesses the cognitive and emotional components underlying the fear response across five distinct dimensions. These dimensions correspond to five specific phobia subtypes: Blood-Injection (Trypanophobia), Bodily Harm (Traumatophobia), Social (Social Phobia), Animal (Zoophobia), and Physical Confinement (Claustrophobia). The PSRS is a valuable tool in clinical and research settings for tracking specific phobia symptoms and understanding individual differences in fear reactivity over time.

Keywords

Phobic Stimuli Response Scale, PSRS, Phobic fears, Trypanophobia, Zoophobia, Claustrophobia, Social anxiety, Psychological assessment, Self-report scale.

Authors

Cutshall, C., Watson, D.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PSRS is to provide a detailed, multidimensional assessment of an individual’s fear responses to specific phobic stimuli. Unlike general anxiety measures, the PSRS breaks down fear into five empirically derived subtypes, allowing researchers and clinicians to pinpoint the specific domains of excessive fear experienced by the respondent.

The scale is particularly useful for measuring the severity of fear symptoms associated with specific phobias, such as Trypanophobia (fear of injections) or Social Phobia (fear of public scrutiny). By quantifying these responses, the PSRS aids in diagnostic screening, treatment planning, and monitoring therapeutic outcomes.

Construct

The PSRS measures the psychological construct of specific phobic fear reactivity, focusing on the cognitive and emotional components of the response rather than purely behavioral avoidance. The scale is structured around five distinct, yet related, subscales, each corresponding to a recognized category of specific phobia outlined in diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5.

The five measured subscales are:

• Blood-Injection: Fear related to blood, injuries, injections, and medical procedures (e.g., Trypanophobia).
• Bodily Harm: Fear concerning illness, injury, natural disasters, or premature death (Traumatophobia).
• Social: Fear associated with public scrutiny, performance anxiety, or negative evaluation by others (i.e., Social Phobia).
• Animal: Fear of specific creatures such as worms, spiders, rodents, or reptiles (i.e., Zoophobia).
• Physical Confinement: Fear related to being trapped, suffocating, or enclosed spaces (i.e., Claustrophobia).

Validity

The validity of the PSRS has been established using an undergraduate student sample (Cutshall & Watson, 2004). Evidence for Convergent validity was demonstrated through strong positive correlations between the PSRS Blood-Injection and Social subscales and analogous subscales found within the established Fear Questionnaire (FQ). This indicates that the PSRS measures constructs similar to those captured by other validated measures of fear.

Furthermore, two of the subscales—Blood-Injection and Animal—are noted for their consistency with the official classifications of specific phobia subtypes recognized in the DSM-5, reinforcing the scale’s relevance to clinical diagnostics. Data used for interpretive purposes are based on an undergraduate sample of 248 people (Ashton et al. 2008).

Reliability

The PSRS demonstrates excellent internal consistency across all five subscales. The reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha) for the subscales range robustly from 0.80 to 0.87. This high degree of internal consistency suggests that the items within each subscale reliably measure the same underlying fear construct.

Factor Analysis

While the source content does not explicitly detail the factor analytic procedure (such as Exploratory or Confirmatory Factor Analysis), the clear delineation of the 46 items into five distinct subscales (Blood-Injection, Bodily Harm, Social, Animal, and Physical Confinement) strongly implies that the development of the PSRS was based on a factor structure supporting these five underlying dimensions of phobic fear. This five-factor model is central to the scale’s utility and interpretation.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report scale

Format: 46 items, utilizing a 4-point Likert scale response format.

Language Available: English (Original development language)

Population Group: General population, primarily validated initially in undergraduate students.

Age Group: Adults (validated on college-aged students).

Population Details: Initial validation sample consisted of 248 undergraduate students (N = 248).

Test Methodology: Psychometric assessment of cognitive and emotional fear components across five established phobia categories.

Keywords

Specific phobia, Fear response, Blood-injection fear, Animal fear, Social anxiety, Confinement anxiety, Psychometrics, Internal consistency, DSM-5.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source content.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 2004

Permissions and Fee: Information regarding current usage permissions and associated fees is not provided in the source material. Researchers should consult the original publication or contact the authors for current licensing requirements.

Reference’s

• Ashton, M. C., Lee, K., Visser, B. A., & Pozzebon, J. A. (2008). Phobic tendency within the five-factor and HEXACO models of personality structure. Journal of Research in Personality, 42(3), 734-746. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2007.10.001
• Cutshall, C. & Watson, D. (2004). The Phobic Stimuli Response Scales: A new self-report measure of fear. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42, 1193-1201. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2003.08.003

Items of the Phobic Stimuli Response Scale (PSRS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The PSRS uses a 4-point rating scale. Responses range from 1 to 4, typically corresponding to levels of disagreement to agreement (e.g., Strongly Disagree = 1, Strongly Agree = 4), although the response direction varies slightly across the original source tables provided.

The 46 items are listed below:

1. I do not like worms.
2. I turn away from the sight of blood.
3. I do not like to have people watch me eat.
4. Rats and mice really bother me.
5. I get nervous and uneasy during thunderstorms.
6. I often am afraid of looking foolish.
7. Watching gory movies makes me queasy.
8. I hate the feeling of being trapped in the middle of a big crowd.
9. I am very afraid of suffocating.
10. I often worry about natural disasters.
11. I do not like riding in crowded buses.
12. I would never hold a spider.
13. I hate getting needles.
14. It would not bother me to hold a snake.
15. It would be hard for me to prick my own finger.
16. I dislike the feeling of being watched by others.
17. I feel faint at the sight of blood.
18. Public speaking makes me very nervous.
19. I do not like to look at hypodermic needles.
20. I am terrified at the thought of being buried alive.
21. I really dislike being in very crowded airplanes.
22. Witnessing childbirth would probably make me feel faint.
23. I am uncomfortable in tight, enclosed spaces.
24. I would never swim in deep water, even if someone were with me.
25. I dislike crowded places.
26. I hate sitting in the middle of a long row of people so that it is difficult to get in and out.
27. I tend to be uncomfortable around people I find attractive.
28. I get nervous when I know that people are watching me.
29. I would not like to hold a lizard.
30. I would hate to have an IV stuck in my arm.
31. I worry that someone close to me will contract a terminal illness.
32. The sight of blood used to really upset me when I was a child.
33. I hate to be places in which I do not know anyone.
34. I can’t perform well if I know that others are watching me.
35. I am generally not shy around people I’ve just met.
36. I am very concerned that I might contract HIV.
37. I would not like to hold a snail or a slug.
38. One of my greatest fears is that I will suffer an early, untimely death.
39. When in a new situation, I feel that everyone is watching me.
40. It would be terrifying for me to be locked in a small, dark room.
41. Watching an animal dissection would make me woozy.
42. It terrifies me to be outside when lightning is striking.
43. One of my greatest fears is that I will be diagnosed with cancer.
44. I would hate to touch a cockroach.
45. I dislike being in strange, unfamiliar places.
46. I really dislike handling slimy things.