| Abstract: | Examined the relationship between stress, forearm blood flow, and subjective anxiety. In 26 normal male Ss, electric shocks applied to the opposite forearm led to a rapid rise in anxiety and forearm blood flow. With repeated regular shocks, habituation of the vasomotor response occurred and anxiety became less intense. Changes appeared to be related to S's ability to predict accurately the intensity and frequency of the stimulus. Mental arithmetic under harassment produced a more gradual but greater rise in blood flow without an equal rise in anxiety. 23 alcoholic Ss who were judged to have limited motivation and ego strength showed a significantly lower vasomotor response during mental arithmetic. It is concluded that changes in forearm blood flow observed during stress cannot be related only to an increase in anxiety. This response seems to depend also on the significance of the stimulus to S, his psychiatric status, and his level of motivation. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
