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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Fear – Psychology'

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Published: 4 June 2021

Last updated: 20 February 2023

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1

Nylocks, Karin Maria. "FEAR-PATHOLOGY ETIOLOGY: FEAR REACTIVITY, FEAR RECOVERY, AND REGULATORY RESOURCES." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1582126029109518.

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2

Vilensky, Michael. "Fear as a Magnifying Glass: The Relationship Between Fear Intensity and Size Perception." The Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1329237590.

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3

De, Villiers Ronelle. "Fear of success revisited." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18292.

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Bibliography: pages 149-173.
The unresolved question of whether Fear of Success is a motive or a measure of gender-role stereotypes is at the centre of the confusion about this construct. The purpose of the present study was to re-explore the nature of Fear of Success through the relationship of this construct to other theoretically related variables. The list of variables included Self-Efficacy, Autonomous and Social Achievement Values, Attitudes Towards Women, Positive and Negative Affect and Age. Cronbach and Meehl's (citedin Tresemer, 1976a) statement that the nomological net of propositions in which a construct is embedded must show predicted relationships with that construct, fostered the expectation that at least some of these variables would predict Fear of Success. It was anticipated that establishing a relationship with either the sociological or the personality constructs would clarify the nature of Fear of Success. The sample consisted of 240 white, English-speaking Capetonian women. The sample was restricted to women from the same cultural group so as to avoid the introduction of confounding variables, and to facilitate comparison of the results with the bulk of the research, most of which has been conducted in America. Furthermore, subjects were drawn from the working population· rather than students, as many researchers in this field have done, so that results would be generalizable to the workplace. Each subject was administered a questionnaire containing the following scales: Good and Good's(1973) Fear of Success Scale, The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule which was developed by Watson, Clark and Tellegen (1988), Tipton, Everett and Worthington's(1984) Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, Spence and Helmreich's (1972) Attitudes Towards Women Scale and the Autonomous and Social Achievement Values Scale which was compiled by Strümpfer (1975).

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4

Cullen, Patrick K. "Neurobiological mechanisms of fear generalization." Thesis, Kent State University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3618903.

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Contextual fear conditioning involves pairing a novel context (conditioned stimulus) with several footshocks (unconditioned stimulus) that serve to condition fear to that context. As the retention interval between training and testing increases context specificity is lost. In other words, the fear memory is no longer precise or context-specific, but has generalized to novel contexts at remote time points. In an attempt to investigate the neural pattern of an imprecise contextual memory trace as a function of time, we used fluorescent in situ hybridization to for Arc mRNA as a measure of neuronal activation following expression of a precise vs. imprecise context fear memory. Expression of a contextually precise memory involved increased Arc mRNA expression in both the dorsal and ventral CA1 regions of the hippocampus as well as the ACC and IL. Expression of a contextually imprecise fear memory involved Arc mRNA expression in the ventral CA1, ACC, IL, and the PL suggesting that both the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are involved in the expression of a remote contextually imprecise memory. Further, inactivation of the ACC at remote time points returned the context memory to a precise state, but had no effect on memory for the training context. Taken together, these data suggest that as a context fear memory ages, both the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex interact in the expression of the memory trace resulting in the loss of precision. Preventing this interaction through inactivation of the ACC allows the hippocampus to express the contextually precise memory. In addition to the systems investigation of fear generalization, we also investigated a potential synaptic mechanism of the phenomenon. Specifically, we discovered that mice lacking a GABAB1 receptor subtype, GABAB1a, exhibit a loss of context discrimination compared to wild-type animals. Animals lacking GABAB1a receptors showed a significant, but not complete loss of context specificity 24 hours post-training. GABAB1a knock out mice exhibited a complete loss of context discrimination by 5 days post-training. However, knock out mice exhibited normal context discrimination immediately following training, suggesting that GABAB1A receptors are necessary for the retention, but not acquisition, of context discrimination. Our results indicate that presynaptic inhibition is required for the maintenance of context.

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5

Adler, Joanna Ruth. "Fear in prisons: its incidence and control." Thesis, University of Kent, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.484251.

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6

Pissiota, Anna. "Fear, Startle, and Fear-Potentiated Startle : Probing Emotion in the Human Brain." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala University, Department of Psychology, 2003. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-3479.

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The present thesis explored the neurobiological basis of three aspects of defense behaviors in humans. Positron emission tomography methodology was used, and changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were measured as an index of neural activity. Firstly, brain function was studied in a group of patients suffering from combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder, using a symptom provocation paradigm with combat sounds in order to elicit fear. Exposure to auditory trauma reminders relative to neutral sounds was associated with increased rCBF in sensorimotor areas, the cerebellar vermis, the periaqueductal gray matter, and the right amygdala, whereas decreased activity was observed in the retrosplenial area of the posterior cingulate cortex. Secondly, the neural circuitry mediating the acoustic startle response and its habituation was studied in a group of healthy subjects. During acoustic startle stimulation as compared to a resting condition, increased rCBF was found in a medial posterior area of the pons corresponding to the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis. As a result of startle repetition, altered activity was found in the cerebellum, pointing to its involvement in startle habituation. Thirdly, neural activity associated with startle modulation by phobic fear was studied in a group of subjects with specific animal phobias during exposure to pictures of their feared and non-feared objects, paired and unpaired with acoustic startle stimuli. As a result of startle potentiation, increased rCBF was found in the left amygdaloid-hippocampal region, and medially in the affective division of the anterior cingulate cortex. In conclusion, these results provide evidence for the involvement of limbic and paralimbic brain areas during fear provocation and fear-potentiated startle and for a similar neurocircuitry underlying startle in humans and animals.

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7

Kim, Jee Hyun Psychology Faculty of Science UNSW. "Extinction of conditioned fear in the developing rat." Publisher:University of New South Wales. Psychology, 2008. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/41106.

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The present thesis examined extinction of conditioned fear in the developing rat. In the adult rat, the hippocampus is thought to be important for the context-specificity of extinction. Because the hippocampus is a late-maturing structure, it was hypothesised that context-modulation of extinction may be different across development. The first series of experiments investigated reinstatement of extinguished fear in the developing rat (Chapter 2). The results showed that P24 rats exhibited context-specific reinstatement. On the other hand, P17 rats did not exhibit reinstatement of extinguished fear following a US reminder treatment. The failure to see reinstatement in P17 rats was not due to the reminder treatment being ineffective in these rats because the same treatment alleviated spontaneous forgetting in rat this age. The second series of experiments then examined the renewal effect and GABAergic involvement in extinction in P24 and P17 rats (Chapter 3). It was observed that P24 rats displayed renewal whereas P17 rats did not. Also, pre-test injection of FG7142 recovered extinguished fear in P24 rats but not in P17 rats, even across a range of doses. This failure to see any FG7142 effect on extinction in P17 rats was not due to the lack of responsiveness to this drug in these rats because FG7142 was found to be effective in alleviating spontaneous forgetting in rats this age. The third series of experiments then examined the effect of temporary inactivation of the amygdala on extinction and re-extinction in the developing rat (Chapter 4). It was observed that extinction retention is impaired in both P24 and P17 rats if the amygdala is inactivated during extinction training. Interestingly, when a CS that had been previously extinguished and then re-trained was re-extinguished, re-extinction was amygdala-independent if initial extinction occurred at 24 days of age but amygdala-dependent if initial extinction occurred at 17 days of age. That is, amygdala involvement in re-extinction was dissociated across development. Taken together, these experiments provide strong evidence for fundamental differences in mechanisms underlying fear extinction across development. The implications of the findings were discussed in light of the theoretical and neural models of extinction.

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8

Valentine, Gill. "Women's fear of male violence in public space." Thesis, University of Reading, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.236852.

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9

Chiu, Ka-cheung, and 招嘉章. "Elderly victimization: paradox of fear." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31978034.

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10

Cullen, Patrick Kennedy. "NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF FEAR GENERALIZATION." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1374536919.

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11

Bluett, Ellen J. "Does the Way Exposure Exercises are Presented Matter? Comparing Fear Reduction Versus Fear Toleration Models." DigitalCommons@USU, 2014. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/3894.

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Exposure therapy is considered to be a first line treatment for a variety of anxiety disorders as supported by several review studies. However, there is no clear understanding of how it works. The present study examined how framing exposure exercises impacted outcomes in socially anxious individuals. We conducted a brief two-session exposure-based intervention, including experiential exercises from each therapeutic rationale, with homework assigned between sessions. We were specifically interested in the efficacy of four brief skills interventions: (a) fear reduction, (b) psychological flexibility, (c) values rationale, and (d) control for reducing public speaking anxiety from first to second exposure session. By combining participants at Utah State University and the University of Colorado Boulder, 81 individuals were randomized to participate in the study. Consistent with our prediction, individuals receiving an active intervention improved to a greater extent on major outcome measures of social anxiety compared to the control group. No significant differences were found between active interventions. Results showed no significant group differences in SUDs change at session 1 or session 2. Additionally, at session 1 those who received an active intervention displayed more within-session exposure engagement than individuals in the control condition. Importantly, there was no difference in between-session exposure engagement (number of exposures attempted) between groups. Overall, the results from this study suggest that there may not be one right way to implement exposure. Furthermore, there may be an overarching mechanism by which exposure works.

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12

Samson, Deborah Christine Veronica. "The effect of mood induction on fear reduction." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26912.

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The present research examined the relationship between mood and fear. A musical mood induction technique was utilized to induced either a happy mood or a sad mood in eighty-four female university students fearful of spiders or snakes. Following mood induction, subjects underwent in vivo systematic desensitization to reduce their fear. Fear levels were reassessed four weeks later and those subjects who showed a return of fear underwent a second session of exposure therapy. Measures of subjective fear and self-efficacy were taken before and after mood induction and again after fear reduction. The length of time taken to reduce fear was also recorded. The findings showed that an induced sad mood led to greater subjective fear and lower self-efficacy compared with an induced happy mood. In addition, an induced sad mood during fear reduction was associated with greater return of fear four weeks later. No difference was found in the length of time taken to reduce fear for happy and sad subjects. This study also addressed the issue of mood state dependency of fear reduction. It was hypothesized that subjects who underwent their second session of fear reduction while in a mood state congruent with that of their first session would show more rapid habituation than those in an incongruent mood state. The results did not support this hypothesis. If the findings of this investigation prove generalizable to clinical depression, they suggest that the most effective approach in treating individuals who are both clinically depressed and anxious may be to treat the depression before beginning exposure to fearful situations or stimuli.
Arts, Faculty of
Psychology, Department of
Graduate

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13

Janman, K. "Achievement motivation, fear of success and occupational choice." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.355756.

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14

Adkins, Jordan M. "Investigating Sex Differences in Various Fear Inhibition Processes." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1626348728929028.

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15

Askew, Chris. "Vicarious learning and the development of fear in childhood." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2006. http://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/22002/.

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16

Siegel, Erika Hansen. "An Effect of Fear on Auditory and Olfactory Perception." W&M ScholarWorks, 2009. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1593092171.

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17

Flynn, Jessica Jane. "Daily Fear in Social Anxiety Disorder." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1470046109.

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18

Frazier, Patricia Hunter. "Concepts of Death: Are Fear and Anxiety the Only Components?" W&M ScholarWorks, 1986. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539625373.

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19

Lee, Murray 1965, of Western Sydney Hawkesbury University, College of Social and Health Sciences, and School of Sociology and Justice Studies. "The 'fear of crime' and governance : a genealogy of the concept of 'fear of crime' and its imagined subjects." THESIS_CSHS_SJS_Lee_M.xml, 2001. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/186.

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This thesis is a critical approach to the concept of fear of crime. It is not necessarily a call for an end to the study of fear of crime. From a genealogical perspective, the thesis first traces the proliferation of academic, governmental and popular interests in the fear of crime in three Western democracies; and secondly explains how this interest has affected both the subjects of inquiry and the very modes of inquiry themselves. It investigates historically the emergence of fear of crime as a set of discourses in the human sciences and in government and explores the ways in which these various institutions have imagined the subjects of their inquiries. It also discusses the ways in which fear of crime has become a discourse within popular culture and the mass media, and explores why gender is a potent signifier in fear of crime research.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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20

Lynch, Joseph Francis III. "Estrogenic Modulation of Fear Generalization." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1466095867.

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21

Gilbert-MacLeod, Cheryl A. "The behavioural expression of fear in young children." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/NQ56550.pdf.

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22

Baker, Erika. "Fear and fearlessness in infants : a developmental approach." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2012. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/44664/.

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The main aim of this thesis was to improve our understanding of the development of early inhibitory emotions and emotion regulation from infancy, and the role of these emotions in early risk pathways. More specifically, this thesis investigated (1) the development of fearful temperament, its stability over the first 3 years of life, and its associations with later developing effortful control (EC) and guilt; (2) risk factors in infancy that predict later externalising psychopathology; and (3) the development of EC, and its associations with fear and guilt. Psychophysiological and observational measures were used, when available, to examine these emotional systems as well as their role in predicting later psychopathology. The thesis consists of 3 empirical chapters, investigating a sample of 70 typically developing children in a longitudinal, prospective manner. Behavioural fear was stable over time, but physiological fear peaked in year 2. Fearful infants continued to be fearful toddlers, and fear in infancy predicted fearfulness 2 years later. Fear and guilt were associated, and we showed for the first time that infant fear is a predictor of later developing guilt. EC increased from year 2 to year 3, showed inter-individual stability across time, and girls’ ability for EC surpassed the ability in boys. EC and guilt were not associated; however, EC and fear were associated in year 3, suggesting that early fear does not regulate later EC. This thesis identified two biomarkers in infancy for later psychopathology. A subgroup of toddlers with internalising problems displayed higher heart rate in infancy, whereas skin conductance arousal in infancy predicted aggressive behaviour in toddlers.

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23

Sheikh, Rohani Saeid. "Acquiring fear and threat related attentional biases through informational learning." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2012. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/38613/.

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Research has found that threat related attentional biases towards novel animals can be induced in children by giving threat information about the animals. Naturally occurring (i.e. non-induced) threat related attentional biases have also been found in both children and adults in the past research. The naturally occurring threat stimuli mainly include phobia stimuli and the threat stimuli that are assumed to have evolutionary roots (e.g., threatening facial expressions, and poisonous animals). In the present research, induced and naturally occurring threat related attentional biases were investigated and contrasted in children and adults. The participants' manual RTs and eye movements were measured in five experiments using the visual search paradigm to examine the attentional biases. The participating children, regardless of their trait anxiety scores, showed attentional bias toward angry faces as indexed by RT and eye movement measures. In the second and third experiments, children acquired fear of novel animals by listening to threat information about them. They later showed attentional bias to the newly feared stimuli: the presence of the animal's images interfered with detecting an irrelevant target, and the animal's images were detected faster than the control stimuli when presented as hidden targets in naturalistic scenes. In the fourth and fifth experiments, no enhancement of attentional bias towards fear-relevant stimuli due to receiving threat information was evident, as no difference was found between the threat information and the no information snake stimuli in terms of attention deployment measures. Strong evidence of naturally occurring attentional bias toward snake stimuli, however, was found in both RTs and overt attention indices. Overall, the RT data provided more robust evidence than the eye movement data in support of the predicted threat related attentional biases. It was argued that attentional biases to fear stimuli might have different levels which develop over time, with fast threat processing (indexed by faster RTs) appearing soon after the fear is acquired.

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24

McClenahan, Abbe. "The Impact of Media Promulgated Fear on the Psyche| Love Will Prevail." Thesis, Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10257935.

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This thesis explores different ways the media influences the psyche and society. Although research has found some positive effects, it points to primarily negative impacts, including manipulating emotions, instilling fear, promoting racism, influencing social control, and ultimately impacting peoples’ perceptions of reality and the world, which can extend into problematic effects on the electoral process and the shaping of popular culture. North Americans can be adversely impacted by media images and content to which they are exposed daily. Negative and fear-producing content can contribute to mental illness as well as societal degeneration. This thesis uses a hermeneutic methodology to identify ways in which the media may be negatively impacting the psyche. The research suggests connections between media and the contents of the cultural unconscious related to the American dream, female objectification, and fear of the other. It posits that fear-producing media can be seen as a form of psychological abuse.

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25

Gonzalez, Denise Marie. "The effect of feedback on predictions of fear." Scholarly Commons, 2000. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2698.

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Predicted fear is the amount of fear a person expects to experience in a given situation. Predictions can be either accurate or inaccurate in comparison to what the person actually experiences in the situation. This two-part analog study was an extension of Rachman's match/mismatch model of overprediction theory. In the first part, college students who overpredicted their fear of a live snake were compared with a control group of students who either underpredicted or accurately predicted their fear of the same snake. Comparisons were made on self-report, physiological, and behavioral measures of anxiety to assess the relationship between these measures and the tendency to overpredict fear. In the second phase of the study, overpredictors and control subjects were randomly assigned to either a feedback or no feedback group. At issue was whether feedback about the accuracy of predicted fear of a snake facilitated correct matches and fear reduction on subsequent exposure trials in comparison to the effects of exposure alone. Results showed that providing feedback did not hasten correct matches. However, in keeping with the views of Rachman (1994) and others, I did find (a) a larger number of overpredictors than underpredictors, (b) an increase of accuracy of predictions over trails, (c) a decrease in the participants' levels of fear over trials.

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26

Pflederer, Andrew L. "The motivational force of the fear of the Lord." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1990. http://www.tren.com.

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27

Kochli, Daniel Edward. "NMDA and dopaminergic contributions to context fear memory reconsolidation." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami150065280374774.

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28

Estep, Freddie Leon. "An analysis of the correlation between fear and motivation." Online full text .pdf document, available to Fuller patrons only, 2000. http://www.tren.com.

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29

Drury, Joanne Louise. "Why do rejection sensitive individuals fear rejection? : an interpretative phenomenological analysis." Thesis, City University London, 2010. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/8708/.

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Research demonstrates that rejection sensitivity develops through early, continuing, or acute experiences of rejection from caregivers and significant others. Rejection sensitivity refers to individuals who anxiously or angrily expect, readily perceive, and intensely react to rejection. The question regarding why rejection is feared by rejection sensitive individuals remains unanswered by existing rejection sensitivity literature. Therefore, the current study answers this question using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to analyse 8 participants' experiences of rejection sensitivity. Four superordinate themes emerged: 'experiences of parenting'; 'impact of rejection'; 'coping with the concept of rejection'; and 'identity'. The primary fundamental finding indicates that rejection sensitivity is the same concept as abandonment anxiety. Participants in the current study demonstrate both rejection sensitivity and abandonment anxiety. Furthermore, the origins and characteristics of both concepts are identified as the same. Therefore, these findings indicate that rejection is feared for the same reason that abandonment is feared. In childhood, abandonment is experienced as terrifying and therefore defences are adopted to avoid further abandonment. The concept of 'past in present' means that childhood feelings can be timelessly re-experienced in adulthood as actual and unchanged. Therefore, later rejection situations are perceived as abandonment and accordingly alert an individual to impending danger. As a result, rejection is feared because it is perceived as abandonment and as a threat to survival. This finding is fundamental to the fields of rejection sensitivity and abandonment anxiety, in terms of research and therapeutic work with clients. Integrating existing literature provides much greater depth of knowledge and support for these concepts. Recommended therapeutic approaches for abandonment anxiety can also inform interventions for rejection sensitive clients. Findings also suggest that participants experience annihilation anxiety in relation to perceived rejection, which further increases fear. Clinical applications and implications with respect to the findings arc discussed.

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Bellaera, Lauren J. "The effect of fear and sadness on spatial and temporal attention." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2013. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/60171/.

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Originally, emotion and attention were treated as separate entities; with the metaphor of “hot” emotion and “cold” attention used to emphasis their independence. However, both neurological and behavioural evidence have demonstrated that emotion and attention strongly influence one another, and in particular an emphasis has been placed on how emotion moderates selective attention. Consequently, studying the relationship between emotion and attention has become an important topic within psychology. Emotion and attention is in itself a vast subject where still many important questions are left unanswered. The present thesis contributes towards the understanding of how emotion influences attention by investigating the extent to which fear and sadness influences spatial and temporal attention. This thesis is divided into a theoretical and empirical part. The theoretical part provides an overview of studies and theories about emotion, attention, and their interaction. I discuss different ways emotion can be induced in the laboratory, as this has become one of the key challenges to my experimental work. In the empirical part of my thesis, I present fear and sadness in two separate sections. This is because I investigate each emotion independently from one another. However, an important theoretical theme underpinning all of my experimental work is the idea of global-local processing and how this is influenced by spatial and temporal attention. Consequently, I use a range of attentional tasks including: the Navon letter task, the shape discrimination task, the contextual cueing task, the attentional network task, and the RSVP task. I view each experimental chapter (4-8) as independent of each other and explain how the emotion-attention interaction is important to the specific experimental context.

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31

Lynch, Joseph F. III. "Sex differences in the generalization of fear as a function of retention intervals." Thesis, Kent State University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1555286.

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Anxiety disorders are the most prominent mental disorder in the United States, and women are 60% more likely than men to have an anxiety disorder. One hypothesis for this sex difference is faster fear generalization rates in females. In previous studies using male subjects, context change disrupted a fear response at a short, but not long retention interval. An incidental observation suggested that females would show a different temporal pattern of fear generalization. In Experiment 1, male and intact female rats displayed disrupted fear responses in a novel context at 1 day. Males displayed context discrimination at all intervals, whereas females exhibited generalization by 5 days. In Experiment 2, ovariectomized females were given an empty capsule or a capsule containing 17β-estradiol to determine the role of estrogens in fear generalization. Female rats with no hormone replacement displayed context discrimination at 5 days, whereas those receiving estradiol generalized their fear response to a novel context. These results demonstrate that fear generalization for contextual cues occurs faster in female rats and that this effect is mediated, in part, by estrogens. Understanding the sex differences in fear generalization is likely to be critical to developing effective treatments for anxiety disorders.

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32

Gordon, Sarah Frances. "Imagining fear: exploring the psychological impact of a culture of violence on women." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15552.

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Post-apartheid South Africa's current climate of patriarchy, social inequality and culture of violence has created a context in which violence against women is both prevalent and tolerated. Despite the extensive literature documenting the social problem of violence against women in South Africa not enough research has been conducted on how this culture of violence affects the identity construction of women. This qualitative, biographical-interpretive study explores how young women's lives and identities are transformed by living in this culture of violence against women in South Africa, more specifically the psychosocial impact this has on them. It draws on the theory of the psychosocial subject, allowing both a 'social' and 'individual' understanding of identity and the social problem of violence against women. Free-association, narrative interviews were conducted with 27 female, University of Cape Town (UCT) students, between the ages of 18 and 32. An interpretive analysis drawing on discourse analysis, narrative theory and psychoanalysis was used to analyse the interview texts. Findings revealed the overarching theme of the discourse of subordinate femininity, in which women are constructed as subordinate to men and their behaviour is constantly being regulated and disciplined. The study found that the discourse of subordinate femininity is reproduced through participants' narratives of family violence, fear and vulnerability and discourses of feminine self-regulation and transgression. The reproduction and resistance of the discourse of subordinate femininity is central to how these women construct their identity. Identifying the discourses of resistance embedded in participants' talk allows this study to represent both the suffering and resistance of these women, which is not commonly seen in literature surrounding violence against women, offering us a more comprehensive picture of how women construct their identity in a violent and volatile context, such as South Africa. The study also highlighted how the dissemination of discourses of subordinate femininity and feminine transgression contribute to the prevalence of violence against women in society because these discourses position men in a hierarchal corrective relationship to all women, and construct the violence perpetrated against women as a natural response to their transgression. Exploring these narratives and discourses allows us to see how all women, regardless of their experiences of victimisation, are affected by the prevalence of violence against women in society. This study addresses several gaps in the existing literature and is ground-breaking in terms of its unique subject matter, theoretical contributions, methodological approach and social significance to the South African context. It represents an original contribution to the field and is part of an effort to raise consciousness around violence against women and its impact on not only survivors, but all women.

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33

Björkstrand, Johannes. "The Amygdala, Fear and Reconsolidation : Neural and Behavioral Effects of Retrieval-Extinction in Fear Conditioning and Spider Phobia." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för psykologi, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-317866.

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The amygdala is crucially involved in the acquisition and retention of fear memories. Experimental research on fear conditioning has shown that memory retrieval shortly followed by pharmacological manipulations or extinction, thereby interfering with memory reconsolidation, decreases later fear expression. Fear memory reconsolidation depends on synaptic plasticity in the amygdala, which has been demonstrated in rodents using both pharmacological manipulations and retrieval-extinction procedures. The retrieval-extinction procedure decreases fear expression also in humans, but the underlying neural mechanism have not been studied. Interfering with reconsolidation is held to alter the original fear memory representation, resulting in long-term reductions in fear responses, and might therefore be used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, but few studies have directly investigated this question. The aim of this thesis was to examine the effects of the retrieval-extinction procedure on amygdala activity and behavioral fear expression in humans. The work presented here also investigated whether findings from studies on recent fear memories, established through fear conditioning, extends to naturally occurring long-term phobic fears. Study I, combining fear conditioning and a retrieval-extinction procedure with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), demonstrated that memory retrieval shortly followed by extinction reduces later amygdala activity and fear expression in healthy subjects. In Study II, these subjects were re-tested 18 months later. The results showed that the effects on fear expression were still present and that initial amygdala activity predicted long-term fear expression. Using an adapted version of the retrieval-extinction procedure, Study III showed that memory retrieval shortly followed by exposure to spider pictures, attenuates subsequent amygdala activity and increases approach behavior in subjects with life-long fear of spiders. In Study IV, these subjects were re-tested 6 months later, and the results showed that effects on amygdala activity as well as approach behavior were maintained. In summation, retrieval-extinction leads to long-lasting reductions in amygdala activity and fear expression. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that retrieval-extinction alters an amygdala dependent fear memory. Retrieval-extinction can also attenuate long-term phobic fears, indicating that this manipulation could be used to enhance exposure-based treatments for anxiety disorders.

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Carlén, Karolina. "Upplevelsen och hanteringen av rädsla hos poliser." Thesis, Mälardalens högskola, Akademin för hållbar samhälls- och teknikutveckling, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-11645.

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Vår kropp är utrustad med alarmsystem som hindrar människan från skada, rädslan får oss uppmärksammad på faran och agerar därefter. Poliser befinner sig många gånger i utsatta situationer som kan bidra till känslomässigt svåra upplevelser, samtidigt uppfattas poliser som starka och många gånger odödliga. Forskning visar att det finns lite utrymme och acceptans till känsloyttringar inom den polisiära kulturen. Åtta poliser varav tre kvinnor intervjuades med fokus på deras upplevelse och hantering av rädsla i arbetet. Data som analyserades utifrån meningskoncentrering, visade att rädsla uppstår hos poliser i deras arbete, men att rädsla inte alltid uttalas. Rädsla tar sig olika uttryck och då främst i sättet att hantera den. Studien visade även att det finns attityder till rädsla bland poliser som bland annat innebär oro för negativa effekter av uttalad rädsla. I likhet med en studie av Christianson och Karlssons (2003) visade även denna studie att intervjupersonerna valde att tala om incidenter som inträffat under deras första år som polis. Om detta beror på habituering eller om intervjupersonerna lärt sig under sin karriär som polis att trycka undan känslor som inte går i linje med den polisiära kulturen låter författaren vara osagt.

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McGowan, Laura. "Fear and sensory experiences in children on the autism spectrum." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2009. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/4196/.

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Existing research indicates that typically developing children pass through predictable stages of fear development throughout their childhood. Evidence suggests that in general, children with disabilities experience more fears than typically developing children. Children with disabilities share similar stages of fear development compared to typically developing children, but at a delayed rate, with a more protracted course. Children on the autism spectrum experience higher levels of anxiety, compared to other children. Limited fear research in children on the autism spectrum suggests that they exhibit a unique fear profile compared to their peers, however, little is known about why this may be. Chapter 1 reviews published literature on fear development for typically developing children, children with physical and intellectual disabilities, and children on the autism spectrum. Chapter 2 presents an empirical study that investigates the relationship between sensory processing and fear profiles in children on the autism spectrum. The results support the notion that sensory experiences may account for a proportion of the unique fear pattern experienced by children on the autism spectrum. The thesis concludes with a reflective account that reviews the process of conducting internet-mediated research on children on the autism spectrum.

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Spickard, Brad. "Pain-Related Fear and Cognitive Performance in Recurrent Headache." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1312467205.

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Perrone, Michael A. "#FoMO| Establishing validity of the Fear of Missing Out scale with an adolescent population." Thesis, Alfred University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10258061.

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Limited research has attempted to quantify Fear of Missing Out. Only one prior study has examined adolescents’ experience of Fear of Missing Out and did so with a small, homogenous Belgian sample. In order to expand upon this limited research base, the present study sought to examine Fear of Missing Out with an American adolescent sample. Specifically, the purpose of the present study was to analyze the reliability and validity of the Fear of Missing Out Scale (Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan & Gladwell, 2013) that was originally developed with an adult population, as well as strengthen understanding of Fear of Missing Out as it pertained to specific demographics. Students (grades 5–12) participating in a large, urban school district after school program in North Texas were surveyed on their experience with Fear of Missing Out and frequency of social media engagement (n = 961; 55% male). Results of a principal components analysis confirmed the presence of a 1-factor model, maintaining all 10 original scale items with strong internal consistency (α = 0.93). Regression analysis suggested Fear of Missing Out was predictive of increased social media engagement ( p = .003). Gender and ethnicity were not related to Fear of Missing Out; grade level and Fear of Missing Out were inversely related, such that the older a student was, the less Fear of Missing Out was reported. Future researchers should utilize intentional and purposeful methodology for measuring social media engagement and focus on strengthening the validity and reliability of Fear of Missing Out as a unique construct. Further, theorists should consider updating their developmental perspectives related to adolescence based on advances in technology, media consumption, and interpersonal communication, particularly via social media. Practitioners are encouraged to understand and disseminate this information as it pertains to educating adolescents and their families about the benefits and costs of mobile technology and social media engagement.

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Kochli, Daniel. "The amygdala is critical for trace, delay, and contextual fear conditioning." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1406560508.

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Greenberg, Jeffrey H. Nezu Christine M. "Televised news media exposure, fear of terrorism, and social problem-solving /." Philadelphia, Pa. : Drexel University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1860/1242.

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Anderson, Christopher Fredric McGlynn F. Dudley. "Association between fear and visual memory for central and peripheral details." Auburn, Ala., 2006. http://repo.lib.auburn.edu/2006%20Fall/Dissertations/ANDERSON_CHRISTOPHER_15.pdf.

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41

Wideman, Timothy Howard. "An empirical and theory-based evaluation of the fear avoidance model of pain." Thesis, McGill University, 2012. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=110386.

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Persistent pain and disability are commonly associated with musculoskeletal injury and can result in considerable personal suffering and societal burden. The Fear Avoidance Model provides a theoretical account of how pain-related disability develops, and has inspired a large body of research that aims to mitigate the negative consequences of musculoskeletal injury. While The Fear Avoidance Model is currently the leading theory of pain-related disability, there are several theoretical and empirical aspects of the model that have yet to be fully addressed; this manuscript-based thesis aims to explore these aspects. This thesis consists of five chapters: a general introduction, three empirical studies, and a general discussion. The general introduction provides a broad theoretical context for the three empirical studies. The studies included in this thesis aim to address two empirical gaps in the literature; the studies evaluate specific prospective relationships proposed by the Fear Avoidance Model, and assess alternate relationships among model-relevant variables. The general discussion provides a detailed exploration of various theoretical assumptions that are made within the Fear Avoidance Model that may help account for the observed findings.
La douleur et l'invalidité persistante sont souvent associées avec des blessures musculo-squelettiques et peuvent entrainer une souffrance personnelle majeure ainsi qu'un fardeau social considérable. Le Modèle Cognitivo-Comportemental de la Peur liée à la douleur (MCCP) donne un compte rendu théorique de la manière dont l'invalidité associée à la douleur se développe et a inspiré une grande partie de la recherche qui vise à atténuer les conséquences de blessures musculo-squelettiques. Tandis que le MCCP est la théorie de premier ordre sur l'invalidité associée à la douleur, plusieurs aspects théoriques et empiriques du modèle n'ont pas encore été pleinement adressés. Cette thèse vise à examiner ces aspects. Cette thèse consiste en cinq chapitres : une introduction générale, trois études empiriques et une conclusion générale. L'introduction présente le cadre théorique pour les trois études empiriques. Les études incluses dans cette thèse visent à combler deux lacunes empiriques ; les études évaluent des relations prospectives spécifiques proposées par le MCCP, et examinent les relations alternatives entre les variables pertinents au modèle. La discussion générale fournit une exploration détaillée de diverses hypothèses théoriques développées dans le MCCP qui peuvent aider à expliquer les résultats des trois études.

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Lee-Jones, Claire. "A two-year follow-up investigating fear of recurrence in orofacial cancer patients." Thesis, Bangor University, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.263226.

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Melrose, Sharon N. G. "The expressed fear profile of South African 1st year students : current and retrospective." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/1110.

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Morris, Megan Brianne. "Fear of Discrimination and Leveraging of Leadership Experience in Individuals of LGBTQ Organizations." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1401715917.

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Dixon, Christina L. "Examining Fear of Recurrence in Cancer Survivors." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6417.

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Improvements in the medical field have given many cancer patients and survivors better odds of long-term survival. As more patients become survivors, the demand for psychological treatment becomes greater. The most prevalent concern of survivors is getting help with a psychosocial condition known as fear of recurrence (FOR). Prior to this study, few researchers had explored how having a more aggressive cancer influences the development of FOR. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether cancer stage and type (a measurement of severity) are predictive of FOR development in the high-risk cancer groups lung and bronchus and female breast. The theoretical framework guiding this research was based on Mishel's theory of uncertainty in illness, which states that uncertainties about illness recurrence can cause survivors to experience breakdown in their lives (whether psychological and/or physical). The fear of cancer recurrence inventory (FCRI) survey was administered to 97 lung and bronchus and female breast cancer survivors; the survivors were asked to rate their level of discomfort about the possibility of a cancer recurrence. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results indicated that cancer type and severity both impacted the development and severity of FOR in lung and bronchus and female breast cancer survivors. Furthermore, regardless of the cancer type, stage of cancer, age of the survivor, or years in remission, survivors reported clinical levels of FOR in all areas of concern. Practitioners can use the current findings to work towards developing better intervention and treatment programs that promote quality survivorship and reduce the risk and rate of FOR in high risk cancer populations.

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Barth, Eric. "Influence of Viewing Dramatic Television and Perceived Risk of Victimization on Crime-Specific Fear." TopSCHOLAR®, 1998. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/332.

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The purpose of this study is to examine the predictability of the fear of property and personal crime in relation to viewing dramatic or violent television. The study was carried out using the viewpoint that the viewing of violence, which is symbolically communicated through the medium of television, does affect the fear of crime. A questionnaire was administered in the spring of 1998 to students of a mid-South regional university. The sample consisted of 619 undergraduate students. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The results of this study suggest that watching violent television content influences the fear of personal crime. However, viewing this type of television seems to have a smaller impact on the fear of property crime.

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Corbo, Vincent. "Interaction of fear and stress: from healthy population samples to post-traumatic stress disorder." Thesis, McGill University, 2011. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=104504.

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Fear and stress are two closely related psychological concepts. At the biological level, activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) measured through galvanic skin response (GSR) is considered as a marker of fear in humans. In parallel, the secretion of cortisol consequent to the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been identified as a reliable marker of stress. However, few human studies have investigated the interaction of endogenous cortisol and GSR in a pavlovian fear-conditioning design. Further, fear-conditioning has been used as a model for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder is thought to be a failure to suppress exaggerated fearful reactions acquired at the time of trauma. Cortisol, as the main stress hormone, has been hypothesized as a potential modulator of the fearful reactions observed in PTSD. However, it remains unclear if PTSD is mostly a fear-based disorder or if symptoms may be associated to other factors, such as cortisol and brain structures, that are not part of the fear network.The work presented in this thesis followed two parallel lines. The two first chapters investigated the interaction between cortisol and GSR reactivity in healthy volunteers. We demonstrated that exposing subjects to a fear-conditioning paradigm was not enough to induce a cortisol response. Further, we observed a greater reactivity in women. In our second study, our results showed that an endogenous cortisol rise induced prior to extinction was associated with a faster decrease of the GSR response to the conditioned stimulus. Replicating our first study, we found that women reacted more to the conditioning paradigm compared to men. Lastly, while cortisol secretion was correlated with childhood adversity and anxiety trait, GSR reactivity did not correlate with personality measures.Our second line of investigation targeted civilians exposed to trauma. In our third study, we observed that increased levels of cortisol in response to awakening were associated with resilience to trauma. Furthermore, based on previous work investigating central nervous regulators of the HPA-axis and fear reactivity, our investigation of cortical thickness of individuals recently exposed to trauma confirmed the expected thinner ACC. We also highlighted the association between ventral temporal cortex and frontal pole with symptoms severity. These regions add a cognitive and social dimension to PTSD severity that may share more with stress than fear itself. These two studies argued for a more comprehensive model of PTSD that includes both fear-conditioning and stress reactivity to better account for the wide scope of symptoms.I conclude this thesis by re-examining the current proposed model for interaction between cortisol and peripheral measures of fear. I review the influence of sex as a mediator of fear acquisition, reactivity to stress and extinction of fear. Finally, I extend these findings to our PTSD studies to evaluate the use of pure fear-conditioning as a model for PTSD symptoms emergence and maintenance.
La peur et le stress sont deux concepts psychologiques intimement reliés. Au niveau biologique, l'activité du système nerveux sympathique (SNS), mesuré par la réponse électrodermale (RÉD), est considéré comme un marqueur de la peur chez l'être humain. Parallèlement, la sécrétion de cortisol suite à l'activation de l'axe hypothalamo-hypophyso-adrénergique (HHA) est le marqueur le plus commun du stress. Cependant, peu d'études se sont penchées sur l'interaction entre le cortisol et la RÉD lors d'un conditionnement de peur pavlovien chez l'être humain. De plus, le conditionnement de peur est utilisé comme modèle pour étudier le Trouble de Stress Post-Traumatique (TSPT). Ce trouble est considéré comme un échec de supprimer une réaction de peur exagérée acquise lors du traumatisme. Le cortisol, en tant qu'hormone de stress principale, est considéré comme un agent qui influencerait la force des réactions de peur dans le TSPT. Cependant, il demeure incertain si le TSPT est principalement un trouble relié à la peur ou si sa symptomatologie est relié à d'autres facteurs, tels le cortisol ou des structures neurologiques qui ne sont pas associées au système de la peur.Les travaux de cette thèse suivent deux lignes parallèles. Les deux premiers chapitres présentent les résultats de l'étude de l'interaction entre la peur et le stress chez des participants en santé. Nous illustrons que l'exposition à un conditionnement de peur n'est pas suffisant pour provoquer une réponse de cortisol. De plus, nous avons observé une plus forte réactivité au conditionnement chez les femmes. Les résultats de notre deuxième étude indiquent qu'une augmentation de cortisol endogène est associé à un déclin plus rapide de la réponse au stimulus conditionné lors de l'extinction. Cette étude confirme aussi une plus forte réactivité chez les femmes. Enfin, alors que la sécrétion de cortisol est associée à l'adversité durant l'enfance et l'anxiété, la RÉD n'était pas associée aux traits de personnalité.Parallèlement à ces études, nous avons étudiés des civils exposés à un événement traumatique. Notre troisième étude montre qu'une réponse accrue de cortisol en réaction au réveil est associée à la résilience face à un événement traumatique. De plus, notre étude de l'épaisseur corticale a confirmé que, chez des individus récemment exposés à un événement traumatique, le cortex cingulaire antérieur est correlé négativement à la sévérité des symptômes. Cette étude a aussi mis en lumière deux nouvelles structures, le cortex ventro-temporal et le pôle frontal, qui sont associées à la sévérité des symptômes. Ces deux structures ajoutent une dimension cognitive et sociale à la sévérité du TSPT et sont associés plus fortement au stress qu'à la peur en soi. Elles suggèrent donc un modèle d'étude qui va au-delà du conditionnement de peur et qui intègre l'importance du stress pour mieux décrire la symptômatologie.Je conclue cette thèse en réexaminant le modèle d'interaction entre le stress et les mesures périphériques de la peur. Suivant cela, j'examine le sexe comme médiateur possible dans l'apprentissage de peur, la réactivité au stress et l'extinction de la peur. Enfin, je fais le pont entre les premières études et celles sur le TSPT pour évaluer l'usage du pur conditionnement de peur comme modèle pour décrire l'émergence et le maintient des symptômes.

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Dunne, Guler. "The effect of stimulus and model characteristics on childhood vicarious fear learning and unlearning." Thesis, Kingston University, 2013. http://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/28761/.

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Rachman (1977) suggested that fears may be acquired via three distinct pathways: direct traumatic experience, verbal information received from others, and vicarious learning. In vicarious fear learning an individual learns from another individual by observing their response to a stimulus or situation. Mineka and Cook (1993) showed that in monkeys this observed fear response behaves as an unconditioned stimulus (US). Thus vicarious learning is likely to be similar, in a procedural sense, to classical conditioning and the success of learning is determined by the relative strength of these conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus (CS-US) associations. Recent studies suggest that vicarious learning plays a role in the development of childhood fears (Askew & Field, 2007; Gerull & Rapee, 2002). However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying this type of learning and the factors that affect it. Associative learning research shows that the salience of the US (a measure of its effectiveness) is critical for learning, if the US is more salient, learning should be more effective. Therefore, the first group of experiments in this thesis manipulated factors expected to affect US salience and hence vicarious fear learning. Experiment 1 considered the importance of the relatedness of observers and models for US salience, specifically whether greater increases in children's fear-related responses are observed when fear responses are modelled by children's mothers compared to when they are modelled by strangers. It also looked at whether fear beliefs acquired vicariously can be unlearned via vicarious counterconditioning and whether the type of model influenced this. Results showed that children's fear responses for animals increased following fear-related vicarious learning and decreased following positive learning. Similarly, counterconditioning led to unlearning of these responses. Model type did not affect vicarious learning or subsequent vicarious counterconditioning. Experiment 2 looked at another factor expected to affect US salience: the age of the model relative to the observer. This experiment examined the relative effects of same-age peer modelling and adult modelling in changing children's fear-related responses. Results were nearly identical to the first experiment: learning and unlearning were similar irrespective of whether the model was a peer or an adult. Experiment 3 examined what effect the richness of the information source has on US salience using moving models (on film) compared to still (photographic) images. No significant effect of the threat-relevant vicarious film on children's fear beliefs and attentional bias was found. The second group of experiments concentrate on characteristics of the CS. Research with adults suggests that when fear-relevant stimuli are used, fear learning will generally be greater (produce a larger conditioned response), occur more rapidly (in fewer trials) and will be more robust (demonstrate superior resistance to extinction) than for fear-irrelevant stimuli (see e.g. Öhman & Mineka, 2001). However, Askew, Dunne, Özdil, Reynolds, and Field (2013) showed that vicariously acquired conditioned responses for fear-relevant stimuli were not significantly greater than those for fear-irrelevant stimuli in children (6 to 11 years). A further two experiments here examined the speed and robustness of vicariously learned responses for fear-relevant stimuli. Experiment 4 manipulated the number of CS-US pairings children saw and compared vicarious learning for two stimuli of differing fear-relevance. Results found increased fear-related responses for both types of stimuli: the effect was not affected by the fear-relevance of the stimuli, nor the number of CS- US pairings that children were exposed to. Fear beliefs were still found to be raised at follow-up one week later, and no . evidence was found for more robust learning for more fear-relevant stimuli. The final experiment, Experiment 5, looked at robustness in more detail. The resistance of learnt responses to extinction was compared in two stimuli of varying fear- -. relevance (animals and flowers). Significant increases in fear-related beliefs and avoidance for animals and flowers were found again, but there was no significant extinction effect observed for avoidance preferences for either CS type. Unexpectedly, significantly greater extinction was observed with fear beliefs for animals compared to flowers. In summary, the first set of experiments showed that in VL with children, the salience of the US is either not easy to manipulate or, more likely, US salience has little effect on fear learning. The second set of experiments demonstrated that the fear-relevance of the stimulus is also not important for children in VL. These findings may have an evolutionary explanation: for children of this age, acquiring knowledge of a potential threat and acting upon it may be more important in terms of survival than the salience/relevance of the US or CS that facilitates such acquisition.

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Adkins, Jordan M. "Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Dorsal Hippocampal Glutamate Receptors Mediate Generalized Fear in Female Rats." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1544527648769848.

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50

Nguyen, Satoko. "Fear as a Predictor of Life Satisfaction for Older Adults in Retirement in Canada." ScholarWorks, 2012. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/486.

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In developed countries, most healthy retirees still have fears about growing old; however, there is little empirical data on the relationship between this fear and quality of life. This cross-sectional, correlational, survey study tested whether a summated measure of fears of growing old (fear) based on Laslett’s theory of retirement (the third age) significantly predicted life satisfaction and retirement satisfaction after adjusting for significant activity theory covariates. 190 Canadian volunteer retirees at 3 community retirement centers completed surveys. A pilot study established the reliability and valdity of the scales, including an instrument Fears about Growing Old derived from Laslett’s exemplifications, used to assess the independent variable. In a regresion analysis, fear (R2 change = .06) was found to be a statistically signficant predictor of life satisfaction when controlling for 5 covariates (activity level, circumstance on the last job, non job-related interests, post-retirement work, and social support); overall R2 = .26. In the model with retirement satisfaction as the outcome, fear significantly explained variance in the outcome (R2 change = .04) while controlling for 2 significant covariates (activity level and social support); overall R2 = .14. A separate analysis did not support a work by gender interaction on satisfaction. The highest rated fears were loss of indpendence and loss of mobility, and men rated loss of partner very high while women rated disease very high. Implications for positive social change include preparing employers, counselors, workers at senior centers, and spouses to discuss these fears with prospective and recent retirees to help them cope more effectively which can lead to improved quality of life.

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