Anxiety Disorders & Specific Phobias · 90 secs

Acrophobia Screener: Free 12-Item Height Vertigo Test (Cohen AQ Model)

Framework: Dr. Daniel C. Cohen (Acrophobia Questionnaire AQ) & Brandt-Daroff vHI Model · 100% Private & Free

Do balconies, suspension bridges, glass elevators, or ladders trigger postural spinning, rubbery legs, and falling dread? Screen acrophobia based on the Cohen AQ model.

Scientific Overview

Acrophobia is an incapacitating fear of heights rooted in visual-vestibular sensory mismatch. When distance to the ground exceeds three meters, the brain suffers from visual postural ataxia, interpreting loss of optical foreground anchors as a catastrophic mortal fall.

What This Assessment Evaluates

  • Measures 3 clinical subscales: Visual Height Intolerance & Vertigo, Catastrophic Fall & Impulse Anxiety, and Anticipatory Elevation Avoidance
  • Demystifies the 'Call of the Void' (l'appel du vide) as an ultra-fast survival alarm rather than a suicidal urge
  • Explains the neurobiology of rubbery legs, postural ataxia, and sympathetic adrenal flooding near open ledges
  • Provides horizon gaze anchoring, proprioceptive grounding techniques, and Virtual Reality Exposure guidance

How to Take This Test

  1. Answer honestly based on your experience over the past 7 days.
  2. There are no right or wrong answers; trust your initial emotional reaction.
  3. Receive your personalized score breakdown, mascot insight, and custom journaling prompts immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my legs feel like jelly when I look down from a high balcony?

When the ground drops away, your eyes lose nearby spatial anchors. Your brain detects an illusion of violent body swaying, prompting the amygdala to tense and shake leg muscles in a panic response.

Can acrophobia be cured permanently?

Yes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) combined with Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) has a clinical success rate exceeding 80% for height desensitization.

Medical Disclaimer

Medical Disclaimer: This instrument is designed for personal self-awareness, emotional tracking, and educational purposes. It is not a clinical diagnosis, psychological treatment, or a substitute for licensed psychiatric care.

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Takes just a minute. Free, anonymous, and no account required to see your initial results.

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