Interaction of anxiety sensitivity and induced physiological state: Effect on behaviour and interpretation of ambiguous scenarios

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interaction of anxiety sensitivity (AS) and induced physiological state (hyperventilation vs. relaxation) on participants’ interpretation of ambiguous scenarios, and their ratings of the likelihood of participation in an anxiety-provoking, real-life behavioural task. The participants were 60 first-year female psychology students whose self-reported AS score was categorised as either high or low. Measures completed before induction of the physiological state included the Social and Avoidance Distress Scale (SADS), the State – Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and a questionnaire in which participants had to make forced choice interpretations of, and generate solutions in response to, a number of hypothetical, ambiguous scenarios. Finally, participants were asked to rate the probability of them choosing to participate in a real-life behavioural task. At post-induction the participants interpreted new scenarios, completed the State Anxiety scale of the STAI, and rated the probability of completing the behavioural task. At pre-induction, participants in the high-AS group were significantly more likely than participants in the low-AS group to interpret the ambiguous scenarios in a threatening manner. Contrary to prediction, at pre-induction there was no significant difference between the high-AS and low-AS groups when rating the probability of their participation in the behavioural task. At post-induction, the high-AS – hyperventilation group reported more avoidance regarding the likelihood of participation in the behavioural task. The implications of these results are discussed.