Comment on Holloway and McNally's (1987) "Effects of Anxiety Sensitivity on the Response to Hyperventilation". 1989

S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner

Holloway and McNally (1987) found that normals with high scores on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), an instrument developed to assess beliefs regarding the adverse consequences of anxiety, reported more anxiety and more frequent and intense somatic sensations following hyperventilation than did normals with low scores on the ASI. They concluded that this result provides support for the construct validity of the ASI and thus for the construct of anxiety sensitivity. Nevertheless, we argue that (a) the developers of the ASI have conflated beliefs regarding the adverse consequences of anxiety with fear of these consequences, (b) the accumulated evidence for the construct validity of the ASI is weak, and (c) Holloway and McNally's design and analyses do not permit them to exclude the more parsimonious explanation that trait anxiety accounts for their findings. Implications for research on anxiety sensitivity are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006985 Hyperventilation A pulmonary ventilation rate faster than is metabolically necessary for the exchange of gases. It is the result of an increased frequency of breathing, an increased tidal volume, or a combination of both. It causes an excess intake of oxygen and the blowing off of carbon dioxide. Hyperventilations
D011581 Psychological Tests Standardized tests designed to measure abilities (as in intelligence, aptitude, and achievement tests) or to evaluate personality traits. Parenting Stress Index,Trier Social Stress Test,Trier Stress Test,Psychologic Tests,Psychological Test,Test, Psychological,Tests, Psychological,Index, Parenting Stress,Psychologic Test,Stress Index, Parenting,Stress Test, Trier,Test, Psychologic,Test, Trier Stress,Trier Stress Tests
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
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

S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
November 1987, Journal of abnormal psychology,
S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
November 2000, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research,
S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
January 1989, Behaviour research and therapy,
S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
January 1998, Journal of anxiety disorders,
S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
January 1990, Behaviour research and therapy,
S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
January 1997, Journal of anxiety disorders,
S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
February 1986, Journal of abnormal psychology,
S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
January 1995, International journal of behavioral medicine,
S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
December 1968, The Journal of physiology,
S O Lilienfeld, and R G Jacob, and S M Turner
February 1994, Behaviour research and therapy,
Copied contents to your clipboard!