Brief relaxation instruction alone and instructions plus electromyographic (EMG) feedback produced significant decreases in general and test-specific anxiety. EMG feedback added little to the effectiveness of relaxation instructions and practice. Relaxation instruction without EMG biofeedback shifted subjects toward a more internal locus of…

Paper presents normative data on the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS), which measures anxiety associated with number manipulation or mathematics concepts. (Authors)

Interviewed drug addicts (N=60) in treatment and recorded descriptions of their lives. Compared their scores on a measure of anxiety with those of two other groups of people matched for sex and age. The chief element differentiating the groups was shame. Addicts expressed more guilt, loneliness, and vague worries. (BH)

Studied the variables related to death anxiety in the elderly (N=122). Results indicated that death anxiety response patterns are a function of the population examined, rather than existing as general characteristics of the elderly, which explains the inconsistency of previous literature on death anxiety in elderly persons. (LLL)

Treated test-anxious college students with cognitive behavior therapy, relaxation training, and thermal biofeedback training. Experimental subjects also received in vivo distraction coping training. Overall program efficacy was demonstrated by reductions in anxiety and increases in rationality of personal belief systems. In vivo training did not…

Investigated the relationship between death imagery and death anxiety among 179 undergraduate students. Results reveal subjects with low death anxiety scores had more positive death images. Subjects who imagined death to be young had a more positive image of death. Death was seen as male by majority of respondents. (Author/BL)

Examines factors of anxiety in the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale in 150 asthma, tuberculosis, and chronic pain patients. Key cluster analysis revealed five clusters: restlessness, embarrassment, sensitivity, physiological anxiety, and self-confidence. Embarrassment is fairly dependent on the other factors. (JAC)

Examined pre- and posttreatment scores on the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y) for 107 veterans in an alcoholic treatment program. Significant differences between pre- and posttreatment scores suggested that the STAI (Form Y) is appropriate for assessing changes in anxiety with alcoholic patients. (JAC)

Cross-validated findings of Ludenia, et al. (1984) from two independent but similar samples of alcoholic inpatients (N=219) with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Form Y. Results indicated that the STAI (Form Y) is a stable instrument across time when used to assess anxiety in an alcoholic population. (LLL)

Surveys empirical literature pertaining to phobias of blood, injury, or illness (BII); defines BII phobia as selectively associated with vasovagal fainting response upon exposure to phobic stimuli. Presents clinical, demographic, and etiological information from 15 BII phobics and suggests that BII phobia warrants diagnostic category separate from…

Assessed the effectiveness of a stress management program for nursing students. The stress management group effectively reduced trait anxiety and showed a reduction in state (test-taking) anxiety from mid-semester to final examinations, while the control group showed a slight increase. (Author)

The present study was designed to determine whether complementary projection is effective to reduce anxiety. (Author)

Hutt's hypothesis that anxiety is reflected by absolute size deviations on reproduced Bender-Gestalt figures was investigated by administering the test to 40 subjects. Measures of trait anxiety and defensive style were found to be intercorrelated significantly and to interact significantly with anxiety condition. (Author/BL)

Describes the KAS scale, a new composite anxiety scale that comprises items on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-168 (MMPI-168), a popular short form of the MMPI. Relevant normative statistics and the KAS scale relationship with other MMPI scales are discussed. (Author/KS)

Compares several instruments of potential usefulness in assessment of anxiety and depression among pain patients (N=34). Results showed that the SCL-90-R appeared to offer the best combination of relevant data and efficient assessment. However, significant intercorrelations among SCL-90-R subscales suggest a unitary factor structure. (NRB)