The incubation theory of fear/anxiety: experimental investigation in a human laboratory model of Pavlovian conditioning.

The aim of this work was to test Eysenck's incubation theory of fear/anxiety in human Pavlovian B conditioning of heart rate (HR) responses. The conditioned stimuli (CSs) were phobia-relevant slides (snakes and spiders) and the unconditioned stimuli (UCSs) were aversive noises. The subjects were presented with two levels of noise intensity during acquisition and three levels of nonreinforced CS presentation (CS-only) in a delay differential (CS+/CS-) conditioning paradigm (2 x 3 x 2). Consistent with the incubation theory, conditioned HR acceleratory responses were sustained (resistance to extinction) for high-noise intensity and short-presentations of CS-only subjects. During the extinction phase, HR acceleratory responses quickly extinguished in low-noise intensity groups after the first presentations of CS-only. These findings were interpreted as support for the incubation theory of phobic fear.

Validation of the spanish version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index in a clinical sample.

In this study we validated the Spanish version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) in a sample of anxiety disordered patients. The results revealed that: (1) ASI scores were higher for anxiety disordered patients than for normal control subjects, and higher for patients with panic disorder (PD) than for patients with other anxiety disorders (OAD). In contrast, there were no differences among the groups on the Cognitive-Somatic Anxiety Questionnaire (CSAQ). (2) Using discriminant analysis, we were able to differentiate PD patients from patients with OAD on the ASI, but not on the CSAQ. (3) Results supported a unidimensional factor-structure for the ASI. (4) Data provide cross-cultural evidence for construct validity and concurrent validity of the Spanish ASI, and provide further evidence for the usefulness of the concept of anxiety sensitivity.

Anxiety sensitivity index: normative data and its differentiation from trait anxiety.

In the present study we report: (1) normative data on the Spanish version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI); and (2) empirical evidence related to differentiation between the constructs of anxiety sensitivity and trait anxiety. A sample of 390 university students (ranging in age from 18 to 34 years) completed the ASI and Spielberger's Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI-T). The means and standard deviations for the Spanish version of the ASI are similar to the ones reported by Peterson and Reiss (Anxiety Sensitivity Index Manual, 2nd edition. Worthington, OH: International Diagnostic Systems, 1992) for the English version. Factor analysis of the joint ASI and STAI-T items yielded two different factors; the STAI-T items load onto one factor (i.e., the trait anxiety factor) and the ASI items load onto the other factor (i.e., the anxiety sensitivity factor). Findings provide empirical support for validation of the Spanish ASI and are consistent with a construct distinction between anxiety sensitivity and trait anxiety.

Effects of UCS intensity and duration of exposure of nonreinforced CS on conditioned electrodermal responses: an experimental analysis of the incubation theory of anxiety.

Eysenck's incubation theory of fear or anxiety was examined in a human Pavlovian conditioning experiment with skin-conductance responses as the dependent variable. The conditioned stimuli (CSs) were fear-relevant slides (snakes and spiders) and the unconditioned stimuli (UCSs) were aversive tones. Different groups of subjects were presented two tone intensities during the acquisition phase and three durations of nonreinforced CS (extinction phase) in a delay differential conditioning paradigm. Resistance to extinction of conditioned skin-conductance responses (conditioned fear responses) exhibited was largest for high intensity of tone and short presentations of the nonreinforced CS (CS+presented alone). The result tends to support Eysenck's incubation theory of anxiety.

Life events and stress reactivity as predictors of cancer, coronary heart disease and anxiety disorders.

The topic relative to the differential psychobiological mechanisms between cancer and coronary illness has been showing for the last years. In this sense, some theoretical models which have been formulated by relevant authors have suggested the possibility of differentiating cancer and cardiovascular disease, both the onset and the progression, from coping strategies, personality variables and affective states, as well as the different categories of psychosocial stress. Likewise, the implication of psychological distress, such as anxiety, anger and depression for the occurrence of somatic disease has been reported frequently. This research was designed to analyze the psychosocial patterns which could explain the incidence of heart disease, cancer and anxiety based disorders. Measures of life events and stress reactivity were obtained from a total of 109 patients diagnosed as having breast cancer (37), infarct (37), and anxiety (35), and from 72 normal control subjects. Our data tend to show that the cancer group was strongly predicted by lost and illness events, while the coronary group was more associated with work events. The anxiety disorders group lacked a life events dimension, but shared the same category of the infarct group. We also found a strong relationship between depressive reactions and cancer in contrast to the anxiety-anger variable that was more relevant in the infarct patients. The interaction between internal and external stress factors in the etiology of disease is also discussed.

Pavlovian conditioning of phobic fear: effects on skin and salivary pH.

This experimental work was designed to investigate the relationships between pH and conditioned fear. The levels of pH were measured in skin and saliva, and were studied in connection with conditioned electrodermal and heart rate (HR) responses (extinction versus resistance to extinction or enhancement). The results of this investigation show that the changes in skin and salivary pH have a tendency to occur in an inverse pattern to the changes in skin conductance and HR. The data are interpreted in terms of skin and salivary pH as new psychophysiological variables and as new tools for psychopathological and psychosomatic research.

Development and factor analytic validation of the SPANAS among women in Spain: (more) cross-cultural convergence in the structure of mood.

We reported our findings on the development and preliminary validation of a Spanish-language measure of positive and negative affect. Using confirmatory factor analytic techniques on data generated by 708 women in northern Spain, we obtained reasonable construct validity and reliability data for the measure. Consistent with past cross-cultural studies, a two-factor Positive Affect-Negative Affect (PA-NA)structure emerged, with PA and NA as relatively independent entities. The structure in this sample converged with that reported for a culturally separate group of participants. This factor structure has therefore revealed invariance across a number of cultural groups in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Negative life events and adolescent suicidal behavior: a critical analysis from the stress process perspective.

In the present review we examine empirical evidence concerning relationships between negative life events and adolescent suicidal behavior. Separate critical analyses were made for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completed suicide, suggesting common and differential aspects. Although there is evidence supporting the hypothesis that life events may comprise a risk factor for adolescent suicidal behavior, their contribution tends to be moderate or weak. A problem with past research is that it has not adequately incorporated mediating and moderating variables into pathways that link psychosocial stressors and suicidal outcomes. A stress process model is presented as a possible alternative to better understanding the relationships between stress and suicide, and to provide a conceptual and heuristic framework for future research.

Health beliefs and illness attitudes as predictors of breast cancer screening attendance.

BACKGROUND: This paper considers the breast cancer screening programme in the autonomous community of Navarre, Northern Spain. Women from different areas of Northern, Central and Southern Navarre are involved. METHODS: A sample of 512 women participants and 196 non-participants was taken from a total of 60,908 women between 45 and 65 years of age who received an invitation to attend the breast cancer screening programme. The participants were asked to fill in an individual structured questionnaire in their local Health Centre and the non-participants in their homes. This was done retrospectively. RESULTS: The response rate was 100% for participants and 83.9% for non-participants. This study investigates the attitude profiles of the women attending mammography mass screening, with non-attending women (matched in educational and occupational levels) as controls. Subjects were assessed on dimensions such as attitudes towards health and illness. The results support Rosenstock's 1974 model that perceived severity of breast cancer and perceived susceptibility to breast cancer are related to participation in screening. Furthermore, results demonstrated that hypochondriacal beliefs, disease phobia and feared effects of symptoms were related to decreased participation levels. CONCLUSION: This study has explored the implication of health belief attitudes and the attitudes toward illness variables with women's participation in a breast cancer screening programme. It assesses the relative contribution of these variables to levels of participation, and the results of the study indicate that belief sets and attitudes are important components of women's cancer prevention behaviours.