Panic Attack Survey

The Panic Attack Survey (PAS) is a modification of a questionnaire used by Norton et al. (1986). The questionnaire first provides a detailed description of panic attacks from the DSM-III (APA, 1980). The subject is asked if he or she has experienced a panic attack in the last three years. The next two questions use a Likert-type format, to determine the frequency of panic attacks in the last year and three weeks respectively. If the subject has not experienced a panic attack, he or she is requested to proceed to the next questionnaire.

The second part of the PAS provides a list of thoughts that are commonly experienced during a panic attack. The subject is asked to rate the frequency of these cognitive symptoms using a five-point Likert scale, with 0 indicating that the symptom does not occur, to 4, which indicates that the symptoms almost always occurs. Two scores are generated, the number of cognitive symptoms experienced during a panic attack, and a total score, which is a summation of the individual symptom scores.

The last section of the PAS lists 12 physical symptoms commonly experienced during a panic attack. The subject is asked to rate the frequency of these physical symptoms using a five-point Likert scale, with 0 indicating that the symptom does not occur, to 4, which indicates that the symptoms almost always occurs. Two scores are generated, the number of physical symptoms experienced during a panic attack, and a total score, which is a summation of the individual symptom scores.

Procedure:

 The test battery was administered in the participants' classrooms, following their Introductory Psychology classes. The instruments were administered in the following order: RBI; ZDI; I; ID; IA; PAS; STAI; STAS; and Ag-I. All testing procedures followed the guidelines established in the respective test manuals.