Phobic dimensions: IV. The structure of animal fears

Research designed to determine the number and kind of dimensions- underlyin g self-reports of animal fears is relatively rare. To contribute further kn owledge to this area of study, Davey's methodology [Davey, G. C. L. (1994a) . Self-reported fears to common indigenous animals in an adult UK populatio n: the role of disgust sensitivity. British Journal of Psychology, 85, 541- 554.] was improved. Principal components analysis with Varimax rotation of the self-ratings to items of Davey's Animal Fears Questionnaire returned by Ss from a Dutch community sample (N = 214) revealed four reliable, relativ ely independent dimensions: (I) fear-relevant animals, (2) dry or non-slimy invertebrates, (3) slimy or wet looking animals and (4) farm animals. Repl icating Davey (1994a), females, relative to males, reported higher levels o n most fear items. Principal components analysis with Oblimin rotation invo lving animal fears scales (derived from the dimensions identified in the pr esent study), dimensions of nonanimal fears, disgust sensitivity, sex-role orientation and the: major dimensions of personality from the Eysenckian sy stem revealed 4 higher-order factors, namely specific animals fears, positi ve affectivity, toughmindedness and negative affectivity. At an even higher level, these 4 higher-order factors merged into two factors: (1) a bipolar positive affectivity versus neuroticism/general emotionality/negative affe ctivity factor and (2) a toughmindedness dimension. Studies such as these c ontribute in helping provide the elements of the hierarchical model of fear s proposed by Taylor [Taylor, S. (1998). The hierarchic structure of fears. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 205-214.]. Findings across different s tudies suggest that there are at least 5 first-order dimensions of animal f ears, the above 4 and predatory (fierce) animals, that may be included in s uch a model. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.