The Fear-of-Intimacy Scale
Abstract
This study investigated the validity of the Fear-of-Intimacy Scale (FIS) with a middle-aged sample, using many of the same measures that used previously with college students, and explored the dimensions of adult attachment as potential correlates of fear of intimacy. Data were obtained from 171 Ss (83 men, 88 women; age range = 35–55) who had completed a battery of questionnaires containing the FIS and other measures of personality, behavior, and background data. The FIS showed high internal consistency, and evidence supporting its construct validity was replicated with several measures (e.g., significant correlations were found between the FIS and measures of self-disclosure, loneliness, and relationship satisfaction). Associations were obtained between fear of intimacy and the dimensions of attachment. After statistically controlling for trait anxiety, several significant associations between the FIS and other measures were upheld, and a few unpredicted associations became nonsignificant.