Perceptual and ~ M o t oSkills, ~ 1,979, 49, 142. @ Perceptual and Motor Skills 1979
EFFECTS OF ANXIETY O N VIGILANCE I. L. SINGH, C. B. DWIVEDI,AND M. M. SINHA Banasas H k d u University'
The anxiety induced by ambiguity of threat (shock) situation and manifesc anxiety have shown low positive correlations. The differential effect of anxiety during vigilance (a coping strategy of sustained attention in threatening situations) has been studied here as a function of white noise and shock inducements. Subjects were 480 undergraduates in a 2 X 2 factorial randomized experiment with two levels each of high (dB 90) and low (65 dB) white noise and high ( 6 0 V ) and low ( 3 0 V ) electric shock. Subjects were assigned to a randomized order of conditions as they came to the laboratory. Twenty 5-lettered paired nouns were tachistoscopically displayed with simultaneous inducement of shock and white noise as called for in the design. The recognition of 10 pairs each in threatening and non-threatening situations was obtained. The correct recognitions in a threatening situation have been used as an index of vigilance. The manifesc anxiety level of subjects was obtained from Sinha's (1968) Anxiety Scale. Analysis of variance showed a significant effect of shock (FIr4i0 = 90.41, p < .001) and noise (F1,4iC = 24.19, p < ,001). However, their interaction was not significant (Fl,4i0 = 1.41). The recognitions under high ( M = 7.04, SD = 1.97) and low noise ( M = 6.22, SD = 1.99) differed significantly ( t = 6.34, p < .01). Similarly, a significant t of 12.66 ( p < .01) was obtained between high ( M = 7.42, SD = 1.69) and low shock ( M = 5.58, SD = 1.99). The vigilance and anxiety scores under high shock yielded a Pearson productmoment correlation of .07 and of ,007 under low shock. The correlations of .Ol under high and of .05 under low white noise conditions showed a contrary trend to that of the shock inducements. However, none were significant. The different effects of shock and noise on vigilance and anxiety corroborate che expectations arising out of most cognitive theories. The low white noise with high shock inducement was conducive to sustaining attention as it helped subjects adopt a most effective coping strategy of vigilance. REFERENCE SINHA,D. W . A . Self-analysis form. Varanasi: Rupa Psychologicnl Corp.,1968. Accepted August 23, 1979.
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'Varanasi-221005, India.
EFFECTS OF ANXIETY O N VIGILANCE I. L. SINGH, C. B. DWIVEDI,AND M. M. SINHA Banasas H k d u University'
The anxiety induced by ambiguity of threat (shock) situation and manifesc anxiety have shown low positive correlations. The differential effect of anxiety during vigilance (a coping strategy of sustained attention in threatening situations) has been studied here as a function of white noise and shock inducements. Subjects were 480 undergraduates in a 2 X 2 factorial randomized experiment with two levels each of high (dB 90) and low (65 dB) white noise and high ( 6 0 V ) and low ( 3 0 V ) electric shock. Subjects were assigned to a randomized order of conditions as they came to the laboratory. Twenty 5-lettered paired nouns were tachistoscopically displayed with simultaneous inducement of shock and white noise as called for in the design. The recognition of 10 pairs each in threatening and non-threatening situations was obtained. The correct recognitions in a threatening situation have been used as an index of vigilance. The manifesc anxiety level of subjects was obtained from Sinha's (1968) Anxiety Scale. Analysis of variance showed a significant effect of shock (FIr4i0 = 90.41, p < .001) and noise (F1,4iC = 24.19, p < ,001). However, their interaction was not significant (Fl,4i0 = 1.41). The recognitions under high ( M = 7.04, SD = 1.97) and low noise ( M = 6.22, SD = 1.99) differed significantly ( t = 6.34, p < .01). Similarly, a significant t of 12.66 ( p < .01) was obtained between high ( M = 7.42, SD = 1.69) and low shock ( M = 5.58, SD = 1.99). The vigilance and anxiety scores under high shock yielded a Pearson productmoment correlation of .07 and of ,007 under low shock. The correlations of .Ol under high and of .05 under low white noise conditions showed a contrary trend to that of the shock inducements. However, none were significant. The different effects of shock and noise on vigilance and anxiety corroborate che expectations arising out of most cognitive theories. The low white noise with high shock inducement was conducive to sustaining attention as it helped subjects adopt a most effective coping strategy of vigilance. REFERENCE SINHA,D. W . A . Self-analysis form. Varanasi: Rupa Psychologicnl Corp.,1968. Accepted August 23, 1979.
,
'Varanasi-221005, India.
