Reversals in the superiority of performance of high‐ and low‐anxious Ss in verbal conditioning¹

Effects of social reinforcement on dependency and aggressive responses of psychopathic neurotic, and subcultural delinquents.

“…An alternative but equally plausible explanation for these results pertains to the role of frustration in mediating the relationship between anxiety and verbal conditioning. While research has indicated discrepancies in the relationship between anxiety and verbal conditioning (Resnick, 1965), the present findings suggest that frustration may have altered anxiety levels in delinquent 5s, resulting in differences in conditioning among subgroups. Under frustration, subgroups seemed to indicate a positive relationship between anxiety and conditioning.…”

Noncontent verbal conditioning as a function of two types of anxiety1

“…The findmgs of a study by Ogawa and Oakes (1965) and of a more recent study by Gorsuch and Spielberger (1966) also are consistent with the hypothesis diat differences m performance of LA and HA subjects on verbal conditiomng tasks are determmed by the degree of stress or perceived threat in the situation On the other hand, Gorsuch and Spielberger (1966) stressed the need for an evaluation of tihie subject's awareness of correct or correlated response-reinforcement contmgencies which was absent in the studies by Resmck (1965) and Ogawa and Oakes (1965).…”

“…This makes it difficult to predict what situations will be anxiely Sffousing to either chronic or nonchromcally anxious subjects. Furtibemwre, there is evidence to show that a critical variable in a learning task, in addition to the degree of task difficulty, is the anxiety evoked by the task itself (Resmck, 1965) The obtained results are lntngumg because they suggest that some type of learmng in a verbal conditiomng task can occur without awareness where experimental procedures are employed that minimize the importance of awareness of the specific reinforcement contmgency. The use of the present methodology employmg the standardized video taped presentation of the expenmenter, the operant paradigm, and ngidly defined temporal response units that were easily and objectively detected and recorded, thus may elimmate a major uncontrolled vanable, namely awareness, which has contributed to the contradictory and eqmvocal results reported m the hterature concemmg the relation of anxiety and verbal conditioning.…”

A reconsideration of the achievement‐motivation theory

“…The theory focuses upon the individual's motive to achieve success (M,) and motive to avoid failure (M,), which are assumed to be aroused in achievement situations. The motivation for an achievement task is then conceived as made up of motivation to achieve success, motivation to avoid failure and various extrinsic Resnick, 1965) to positive (e.g., Spence, 1956). As to the latter results, it should also be noted that the anxiety questionnaires are developed within research traditions which do not hypothesize a simple negative relationship between anxiety strength and performance level but rather that the relationship may vary from negative to positive?…”

“…Thus, the relationship between M, measures and performance level has varied from positive (e.g., McClelland ef al., 1953; Rosen, 1956; Wendt, 1955) to negative (e.g., Miles, 1958;Smith, 1966; Vogel, Baker and Lazarus, 1958). In the same way, the relationship between scores on anxiety questionnaires, assumed to reflect the strength of M f (Atkinson, 1964; Atkinson and Litwin, 1960), and performance level has varied from negative (e.g., Rand, 1960; Resnick, 1965) to positive (e.g., Spence, 1956). As to the latter results, it should also be noted that the anxiety questionnaires are developed within research traditions which do not hypothesize a simple negative relationship between anxiety strength and performance level but rather that the relationship may vary from negative to positive?…”