Effects of Differential Anxiety Level And The Repression-Sensitization Dimension

Three reliably different levels of anxiety produced in Ss during cognitive rehearsals of approaching feared objects did not lead to differential decreases of avoidance or fear in the presence of the feared object. Ss designated as Repressors on the Byrne R-S scale improved least. The amount of fear reported by Repressors during visualization was substantially related to ineffectiveness of treatment, and fear and avoidance were highly related. Similar results were not obtained from Sensitizers or an Intermediate group. Items in a fear history questionnaire were significantly related to amount of avoidance after treatment. (Author) LIN UJ eNi co Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association