THE SELF AS A SOURCE OF ANXIETY

TO TEST THE THEORETICAL FORMULATION THAT 1 EFFECT OF ANXIETY IS TO CAUSE A BREAKDOWN IN DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN THE SELF AND ENVIRONMENT, 40 FEMALE SS IN 2 GROUPS (INDUCED ANXIETY AND CONTROL CONDITIONS) WERE TACHISTOSCOPICALLY SHOWN PHOTOS OF THEMSELVES, A STRANGER, AND A WELL-KNOWN FILM ACTRESS. ANXIOUS SS REACTED TO PHOTOS OF THEMSELVES AS THOUGH THEY WERE TRAUMATIC STIMULI, SHOWING PERCEPTUAL VIGILANCE AT LOW LEVELS OF AWARENESS AND DEFENSE AT HIGHER LEVELS OF AWARENESS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT EXTERNALLY GENERATED ANXIETY BECAME ATTACHED TO REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PHYSICAL SELF AND THAT THIS WAS NEGATIVELY REINFORCING.