The present investigation was designed to explore further the hypothesis that asthma is more often employed as a learned, defensive-adaptive response by rapidly remitting than by steroid dependent asthmatic children. Specifically, it was predicted that rapidly remitting, as compared to steroid dependent children, would more often report emotional arousal with negative affect as provocative of asthma. A simple, structured interview procedure for obtaining data on children's perceptions of the precipitants of asthmatic attacks was described in some detail. The results of interviews with 38 children (20 rapidly remitting and 18 steroid dependent) offered support for the main hypothesis. In addition, extrinsic factors such as colds, allergies, and weath variations, particularly the latter, were reported as precipitants of asthma more frequently by the steroid dependent than by the rapidly remitting children. On the basis of some of the obtained data, an explanation of the relationship between crying and asthma was offered as an alternative hypothesis to the well-known concept of asthma as a symbolic, suppressed cry for the mother.