Drive theory and manifest anxiety.

Abstract

A considerable bibliography of experimental studies using the Manifest Anxiety Scale (MAS) has accumulated since its initial introduction to the research literature. The purpose of this article is to critically examine this research as it relates to drive theory and the original purposes of the scale. Experiments concerned with the relationships between the MAS and classical conditioning, stimulus generalization, maze learning, and verbal learning are presented. In addition, the relationship between anxiety and stress and the MAS and clinical measures of anxiety are explored. In general, the experimental evidence supports the notion of an interaction between anxiety level and task complexity but additional research is necessary to determine if the theory can be successfully expanded to include more complex situations than originally seemed appropriate. 49 references.