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Acrophobia, also known as hypsophobia, is an extreme or irrational fear or phobia of heights, especially when one is not particularly high up. It belongs to a category of specific phobias, called space and motion discomfort, that share similar causes and options for treatment.
The term is a piece of computer humor entered into the 1981 The Devil's DP Dictionary. [48] Anatidaephobia – the fictional fear that one is being watched by a duck. The word comes from the name of the family Anatidae, and was used in Gary Larson's The Far Side. [49] Anoraknophobia – a portmanteau of "anorak" and "arachnophobia".
Specifically for acrophobia, in-vivo exposure (exposure to real-world height-scenarios while maintaining anxiety at controlled levels) has been shown to significantly improve measures of anxiety in the short-term, but this effect decreased over a longer term.
A phobia is an anxiety disorder, defined by an irrational, unrealistic, persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. [7] [8] [9] [1] Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are usually present for more than six months. [1]
Studies have shown that people with acrophobia and/or an extreme fear of falling have higher scores of SMD, or space and motion discomfort. These are physical symptoms elicited by visual or kinesthetic information that is inadequate for normal spatial orientation. Space and motion discomfort arises when conflicting information is detected among ...
Press photographer on the transmission tower in Königs Wusterhausen, Germany, 1932. To have a head for heights means that one has no acrophobia (irrational fear of heights), and is also not particularly prone to fear of falling or suffering from vertigo (the spinning sensation that can be triggered, for example, by looking down from a high place).
The usual definition of a -phobia is that its an abnormally debilitating fear of something. That would imply that not everyone has it. Everyone could have a fear of heights, but only a subset would have acrophobia. This seems to be covered in the first sentence, at least. (John User:Jwy talk) 19:42, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
The scale is composed of 24 items divided into 2 subscales, 13 concerning performance anxiety, and 11 pertaining to social situations. The 24 items are first rated on a Likert Scale from 0 to 3 on fear felt during the situations, and then the same items are rated regarding avoidance of the situation. [7]