Specific Fears in Emerging Adulthood among Czech Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The study has an explorative character. Its aim is to describe the content of experienced fears in the period of emerging adulthood among Czech undergraduate students. The aim is to describe the specific fears in emerging adulthood and to compare and find differences between genders and term of study. Subjective responses about the contents of fears were collected on the basis of the “Cake of Fear” method. This method allows respondents to freely express fears that he/she perceives as significant in the context of their everyday lives. Fear occurrence, content, and intensity changes in general fear categories were investigated. The findings revealed that fears associated with the study were progressively replaced by fears related to career. The fears in emerging adulthood were more general and abstract. They were often related to autonomy and identity. The fears in emerging adulthood are closer to fears which are typical for adolescent than children's fears, which have a more specific content. The results show that girls perceive themselves as more fearful than boys. Gender and age differences are discussed.