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Do agoraphobics interpret the environment in large shops and supermarkets differently?
Author(s) -
Jones R. Barrie,
Humphris Gerry,
Lewis Toni
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
british journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0144-6657
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1996.tb01220.x
Subject(s) - psychology , anxiety , agoraphobia , orientation (vector space) , avoidance behaviour , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , anxiety disorder , psychiatry , geometry , mathematics
Agoraphobics typically have difficulties in visiting supermarkets. This brief report presents results of a survey investigating the properties of supermarkets which provoke or ease anxiety‐related responses in shoppers ( N = 500) and two further groups: agoraphobics ( N = 40) and participants responding to a local press advert ( N = 54). Results showed that layout features, stairways and diminished access were rated as more anxiety provoking in the agoraphobic‐type groups compared to general shoppers. The safety‐signal model of agoraphobic behaviour was supported although some evidence of dysfunction of spatial orientation was found.