Effects of anxiety sensitivity on emotional response to a stress task. 1990

B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052.

The purpose of this investigation was to further define the role of anxiety sensitivity, in relation to physiological arousal and the cognitive perception of anxiousness, as a determinant of anxiety. One hundred and thirty-two undergraduates at an urban university served as subjects. Two physiological measures of arousal and two cognitive measures of anxiety were used following an anxiety inducing task (mental arithmetic). The general expectation, which was supported, was that individual differences in anxiety sensitivity levels are more closely related to subjects' reported anxiousness in stressful conditions than are the actual physiological changes. Additionally, anxiety sensitivity was related to poststress levels of anxiety whereas trait anxiety was only related to pre- and postrelaxation levels of anxiety. Implications of the findings are addressed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010556 Personality Tests Standardized objective tests designed to facilitate the evaluation of personality. Personality Test,Test, Personality,Tests, Personality
D011340 Problem Solving A learning situation involving more than one alternative from which a selection is made in order to attain a specific goal.
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D001007 Anxiety Feelings or emotions of dread, apprehension, and impending disaster but not disabling as with ANXIETY DISORDERS. Angst,Anxiousness,Hypervigilance,Nervousness,Social Anxiety,Anxieties, Social,Anxiety, Social,Social Anxieties
D001143 Arousal Cortical vigilance or readiness of tone, presumed to be in response to sensory stimulation via the reticular activating system. Vigilance, Cortical,Arousals,Cortical Vigilance

Related Publications

B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
November 1987, Journal of abnormal psychology,
B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
September 1956, Journal of personality,
B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
November 1992, British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953),
B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
February 1951, Journal of comparative and physiological psychology,
B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
February 2001, Clinical psychology review,
B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
June 1958, Journal of experimental psychology,
B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
May 2009, Psychological research,
B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
January 1987, Anesteziologiia i reanimatologiia,
B B Shostak, and R A Peterson
February 1989, Journal of abnormal psychology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!