Psychometric validation of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Australian community sample

Objective The Specific Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ; Fairbrother & Antony, 2012) is a 43-item scale that measures fear and interference towards various specific phobias. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the SPQ in an Australian population.Method The sample consisted of...

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Main Authors: Jane Mathews, Bethany M. Wootton, Karen Moses
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Australian Journal of Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/00049530.2025.2464850
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author Jane Mathews
Bethany M. Wootton
Karen Moses
author_facet Jane Mathews
Bethany M. Wootton
Karen Moses
author_sort Jane Mathews
collection DOAJ
description Objective The Specific Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ; Fairbrother & Antony, 2012) is a 43-item scale that measures fear and interference towards various specific phobias. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the SPQ in an Australian population.Method The sample consisted of 287 participants, aged 18–76 (M = 28.30, SD = 12.07).Results Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit of the multidimensional factor structure. The SPQ showed excellent internal consistency in total, fear items, interference items, and low to high internal consistency when classified into the five factors. The SPQ demonstrated adequate convergent and discriminant validity when correlated with the Specific Phobia Dimensional Scale and the Panic Disorder Severity Scale – Self Report, respectively.Conclusions Overall, the SPQ is a valid and reliable measure to use in an Australian community population. Future research is considered.
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spelling doaj-art-3cc5d38abcaf4c8f9210e4478e1ed84f2025-08-20T03:05:50ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAustralian Journal of Psychology0004-95301742-95362025-12-0177110.1080/00049530.2025.2464850Psychometric validation of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Australian community sampleJane Mathews0Bethany M. Wootton1Karen Moses2School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, AustraliaDiscipline of Psychology, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, AustraliaSchool of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, AustraliaObjective The Specific Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ; Fairbrother & Antony, 2012) is a 43-item scale that measures fear and interference towards various specific phobias. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the SPQ in an Australian population.Method The sample consisted of 287 participants, aged 18–76 (M = 28.30, SD = 12.07).Results Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit of the multidimensional factor structure. The SPQ showed excellent internal consistency in total, fear items, interference items, and low to high internal consistency when classified into the five factors. The SPQ demonstrated adequate convergent and discriminant validity when correlated with the Specific Phobia Dimensional Scale and the Panic Disorder Severity Scale – Self Report, respectively.Conclusions Overall, the SPQ is a valid and reliable measure to use in an Australian community population. Future research is considered.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/00049530.2025.2464850Anxietyfearinterferencespecific phobiaSpecific Phobia Questionnaire
spellingShingle Jane Mathews
Bethany M. Wootton
Karen Moses
Psychometric validation of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Australian community sample
Australian Journal of Psychology
Anxiety
fear
interference
specific phobia
Specific Phobia Questionnaire
title Psychometric validation of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Australian community sample
title_full Psychometric validation of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Australian community sample
title_fullStr Psychometric validation of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Australian community sample
title_full_unstemmed Psychometric validation of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Australian community sample
title_short Psychometric validation of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Australian community sample
title_sort psychometric validation of the specific phobia questionnaire in an australian community sample
topic Anxiety
fear
interference
specific phobia
Specific Phobia Questionnaire
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/00049530.2025.2464850
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