What do anxiety scales measure?

At present researchers appear to rely on instruments for the assessment of anxiety without due consideration of what it is that the instrument may be presumed to measure. A survey was undertaken of the presently most frequently used rating scales which purport to assess anxiety. The allocation of items of the scales to the major aspects of anxiety was examined. It was found that the scales tapped different areas of psychopathology. Furtherance of research requires closer attention to the nature of the scales and the assumption that they all measure much the same construct must be discarded.