THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF PHOBIAS - A DISCRIMINANT-ANALYSIS OF FEARS

The distinctiveness of the fear profiles of three types of phobia was examined. Responses of 80 agoraphobics, 25 social phobics, and 35 spec ific phobics to Wolpe's Fear Survey Schedule were submitted to a discr iminant function analysis. Two highly significant functions emerged, r eclassifying three types of phobias with an average accuracy rate of f ully 97%, almost perfectly matching the diagnosis made independently i n a clinical interview. Agora-, social, and specific phobic fear profi les may now be added to age of onset and sex preponderance as distinct ive features.