Table of Contents

Personality (ASI)

The Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) is a 16-item self-report instrument that provides a measure of anxiety sensitivity (AS), a psychological construct that has been shown to be a central cognitive risk factor relevant to anxiety and its disorders (section: mental health).
Note: The ASI was only used in the Pilot questionnaire of assessment 1A, and was filled in by 2730 adult Lifelines participants.
After the pilot, the ASI was dropped in favor of other personality tests: GAS, Type D, and NEO.

Background and validation

AS is defined as the fear of arousal-related sensations (e.g., fear of heart palpitations), which arise from beliefs that these anxiety-related sensations have harmful consequences 1).

Taylor and colleagues developed the ASI-3 in order to assess the basic dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: (1) fear of physical symptoms, (2) fear of cognitive symptoms, and (3) fear of publicly observable symptoms 2). Each dimension predicts different types of psychopathology (e.g., fear of physical symptoms is most closely associated with panic disorder). The analysis of the dimensions of anxiety sensitivity provides are more nuanced way of examining the relationship between specific types of anxiety sensitivity and specific types of psychopathology.

The validity and reliability of the 16-item ASI was tested in the general population 3) and more recently in a population of Dutch young adults 4).
There are several links between a high ASI-score and the development of disorders such as phobia and panic disorders, amongst others 5).

Variables

Participants score 16 items on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from “this does not apply to me at all” to “this does very much apply to me”.

Questions English Questions Dutch Variable Assessment Age
It is important for me not to appear nervous. Ik vind het belangrijk om niet zenuwachtig over te komen. ASI1 1A 18+
When I cannot keep my mind on a task, I worry that I might be going crazy. Als ik ergens mijn aandacht niet bij kan houden, ben ik bang gek te worden. ASI2 1A 18+
It scares me when I feel shaky (trembling). Het maakt me bang wanneer ik me draaierig (trillerig) voel. ASI3 1A 18+
It scares me when I feel faint. Het maakt me bang wanneer ik me duizelig voel. ASI4 1A 18+
It is important to me to stay in control of my emotions. Ik vind het belangrijk om mijn emoties de baas te blijven ASI5 1A 18+
It scares me when my heart beats rapidly. Het maakt mij bang wanneer mijn hart snel klopt. ASI6 1A 18+
It embarrasses me when my stomach growls. Ik ben van slag wanneer mijn maag knort. ASI7 1A 18+
It scares me when I am nauseous. Het maakt me bang wanneer ik me misselijk voel. ASI8 1A 18+
When I notice that my heart is beating rapidly, I worry that I might have a heart attack. Wanneer ik merk dat mijn hart snel klopt, ben ik bang een hartaanval te krijgen. ASI9 1A 18+
It scares me when I become short of breath. Het maakt me bang wanneer ik adem tekort kom. ASI10 1A 18+
When my stomach is upset, I worry that I might be seriously ill. Wanneer mijn maag van streek is, ben ik bang erg ziek te worden. ASI11 1A 18+
It scares me when I am unable to keep my mind on a task. Het maakt me bang wanneer ik ergens mijn aandacht niet bij kan houden. ASI12 1A 18+
Other people notice when I feel shaky. Anderen merken aan mij dat ik me draaierig voel. ASI13 1A 18+
Unusual body sensations scare me. Ongewone lichamelijke sensaties maken me bang. ASI14 1A 18+
When I am nervous, I worry that I might be mentally ill. Wanneer ik me zenuwachtig voel, ben ik bang gek te worden. ASI15 1A 18+
It scares me when I am nervous. Het maakt me bang wanneer ik me zenuwachtig voel. ASI16 1A 18+
1) , 3)
Reiss, S., Peterson, R.A., Gursky, D.M., & McNally, R.J. (1986). Anxiety sensitivity, anxiety frequency, and the prediction of fearfulness. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 1-8
2)
Taylor, S., et al. (2007). Robust dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: Development and initial validation of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3. Psychological Assessment, 19, 176-188. DOI: 10.1037/1040-3590.19.2.176
4)
Vujanovic et al. 2007, Assessment 14(2); 129-143
5)
Anxiety Sensitivity: Theory, Research, and Treatment of the Fear of Anxiety (Personality and Clinical Psychology Series), 2014