Wanted: Online Phobia Study Participants: 10-30$ Amazon/Walmart

Description: We are recruiting 100 study participants in the community for our study: Phase II of the Initial Validation of the Specific Phobia Severity Scales (SPSS). To be eligible for the study, participants must report that they are proficient in English, are at least 18 years of age, and reside in Canada. Participants must also meet a threshold for fear or avoidance on a specific phobia screening interview to be eligible to participate. Below is a brief description of the purpose of our study.

Purpose of the study: Specific phobias are extreme fears of particular objects and situations (e.g., insects, heights, etc.) that are experienced as distressing or interfere with an individual's functioning. Although numerous measures exist to assess specific phobia severity, they generally tend to be too narrow in their focus (e.g., they assess on one particular phobia type), or they tend to be quite long or invalidated. To meet the need for a brief, validated scale that can assess severity on any type of specific phobia, Drs. Martin Antony and Shari McKee developed the Specific Phobia Severity Scales (SPSS). The objective of this study is to conduct an initial validation of the SPSS. This study is funded by the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program.

What you are being asked to do: If you are eligible and choose to participate in this study, you will be asked to read the online consent agreement, and if you consent, you will be asked to schedule a 15-minute screening interview with a trained volunteer to determine whether you are eligible to participate. Please note that we will require a piece of identification containing your name and address to verify your identity and Canadian residence. To be able to verify your documentation, we ask that your video be on for the duration of the interview. If your identity is successfully verified and are deemed eligible, you will be given access to a link to complete 10 online questionnaires about mental health, anxiety, and phobias, taking approximately 45 minutes. We are offering online gift cards to either Amazon.ca or Walmart. $10 for the interview and $20 for those who are eligible and who complete the survey.

This study has been reviewed by the Toronto Metropolitan University Research Ethics Board (Reference ID Number 2021-369).

Please email ava.rutgers@torontomu.ca if you are interested in participating in this study.