| Abstract: | "Recent studies of perceptual behavior have demonstrated that there is a change in recognition threshold as a function of the 'emotionality' attached to a stimulus. It has been proposed that the change in threshold is a function of the type of mechanisms used to cope with anxiety generally. Since there is reason to doubt the generality of this assertion, this study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that those patients who use intellectualization as the preferred type of mechanisms to handle anxiety will perceive emotional words at lower thresholds than those patients who use predominantly repressive mechanisms." Results indicate no difference in perceptual recognition thresholds for the two groups of patients. Combined patient groups, however, had lower thresholds than normals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
