Methodology for studying situational and personal anxiety

Almost every second client who comes to me for a consultation, listing the reasons for coming, talks about anxiety. Sometimes he himself identifies it, sometimes he calls it another word or describes his condition so vividly that it becomes immediately clear what he means. Perhaps, it’s true that anxiety, which absolutely all people face at certain points in their lives, is often one of the main reasons for turning to a psychologist. Specifically, a prolonged state of anxiety or an increased level of anxiety. What this condition threatens and how you can work with it will be discussed in this article.

What is anxiety

Anxiety in psychological science is an emotional state that has a negative connotation. A person in a state of anxiety tends to expect something bad, for example, an unfavorable outcome of events or negative consequences. Anxiety is often confused with fear, but there is one clear difference between them: fear always has an object and is of a specific nature (for example, fear of spiders or heights), and anxiety is always pointless, often its nature is not clear even to the person himself, it always has vague causes .

Anxiety in psychology is a person’s ability to experience a state of anxiety associated with the occurrence of experiences in various situations. Every person has a certain, so-called normal level of anxiety, which is temporary and which a person can easily cope with if desired. However, if the state of anxiety is long-lasting, a person cannot cope with it on his own, and it has a disorganizing effect on life, then they speak of a state of increased anxiety. An increased level of anxiety accompanies the occurrence of various diseases and a significant decrease in the quality of life.

The problem of situational anxiety in psychological and pedagogical research

Bibliographic description:

Polshkova, T. A. The problem of situational anxiety in psychological and pedagogical research / T. A. Polshkova.
— Text: immediate // Current issues of modern psychology: materials of the II International. scientific conf. (Chelyabinsk, February 2013). - T. 0. - Chelyabinsk: Two Komsomol members, 2013. - P. 107-110. — URL: https://moluch.ru/conf/psy/archive/81/3495/ (access date: 10/08/2020). There is a wide range of different definitions of anxiety and anxiety. In modern psychology, it is customary to distinguish between “anxiety” and “anxiety,” although half a century ago this distinction was not obvious. Now this differentiation is characteristic of both domestic and foreign psychology [12, P. 12].

In the most general sense, according to the “Concise Psychological Dictionary,” anxiety is defined as an emotional state that arises in a situation of uncertain danger and manifests itself in anticipation of an unfavorable development of events [9, C 407].

Unlike anxiety, anxiety in modern psychology is considered as a mental property and is defined as an individual’s tendency to experience anxiety, characterized by a low threshold for the occurrence of an anxiety reaction [ibid. P. 408].

Not a single psychological problem has undergone such ups and downs in its study as the problem of anxiety. If in 1927 the Psychological Abstract contained only three articles, then in 1960 there were already 222, and in 1995 there were more than 600 [1, p. 5].

In Russian psychology, the period of active research on anxiety was in the 1970s - early 1990s.

In the psychological literature there are few such psychological phenomena, the significance of which is at the same time assessed both extremely highly and quite narrowly, even functionally. But that's anxiety. On the one hand, this is “the central problem of modern civilization”, as the most important characteristic of our time: “The 20th century is a century of anxiety.” It is given the importance of the basic “vital feeling of modernity.” On the other hand, a mental state caused by special conditions of an experiment or situation (competitive, exam anxiety), “axial symptom” of neurosis, etc. [3, P. 32].

There are very few studies on anxiety in the domestic literature, and they are quite fragmentary. One might think that this is due not only to well-known social reasons, but also to the influence that such areas as psychoanalysis, existential philosophy, psychology and psychiatry had on the development of Western social and scientific thought [16, p. 9].

In the last decade, the interest of Russian psychologists in the study of anxiety has increased significantly due to drastic changes in the life of society, giving rise to uncertainty and unpredictability of the future and, as a consequence, experiences of emotional tension, worry and anxiety. At the same time, it should be noted that even now in our country anxiety is studied mainly within the narrow framework of specific, applied problems (school, exam, competitive anxiety, etc.) [16, p. 4].

The concept of anxiety occupies an important place in psychological theories and research since S. Freud emphasized its role in neuroses [8, p. 314]. In the 90s XIX century Z. Freud was the first to define anxiety as a consequence of inadequate libido discharge. Subsequently, he carries out a number of refinements to the original concept of anxiety. Now he associates anxiety with a state of increasing mental tension, which in turn is the result of libidinal energy not finding an outlet. And then in “Lectures on Psychoanalysis” (1916–1917) he already clearly says that excitement, which does not end in discharge, turns into fear and manifests itself in fear neuroses. Thus, fear and anxiety are seen as the opposite, negative sides of sexual desire [6, p. 57].

Only later, in the process of developing metapsychology, S. Freud defines anxiety as a function of the Ego. From this point of view, anxiety acquires an adaptive function; its purpose is to warn the individual about an impending threat that needs to be somehow dealt with [ibid.].

This idea lacks a widely accepted definition [1, p. 109].

Thus, A.M. Prikhozhan points out that anxiety is the experience of emotional discomfort associated with the expectation of trouble, with a premonition of impending danger. There is a distinction between anxiety as an emotional state and as a stable property, personality trait or temperament [14, p. 4].

N.D. Levitov considers anxiety as a mental state, expressed in a state of fear and disturbance of peace caused by possible troubles [10, P. 46].

G. M. Breslav determines that anxiety is a personality trait that reflects a decrease in the threshold of sensitivity to various stress agents. Anxiety is expressed in a constant feeling of threat to one’s own self in any situation; Anxiety is a tendency to experience anxiety, characterized by a low threshold for the occurrence of an anxiety reaction: one of the main parameters of individuality [5, P. 473].

The authors who study anxiety: K. Goldstein, Z. Freud, K. Horney, agree that anxiety is a diffuse fear and that the main difference between anxiety and fear is that fear is a reaction to a special danger, and anxiety is pointless. A special characteristic of anxiety is a feeling of uncertainty and helplessness in the face of danger [13, P. 215].

A certain level of anxiety is a natural and obligatory feature of an active personality. However, an increased level of anxiety is a subjective manifestation of personal distress. At the same time, there is an optimal individual level of useful anxiety.

O. H. Maurer believed that the main function of anxiety is signaling, it leads to the reinforcement of such reactions and such forms of behavior that help prevent the experience of more intense fear or reduce existing fear [14, p. 93].

Anxiety as a signal of danger draws attention to possible difficulties, obstacles to achieving the goal contained in the situation, allows you to mobilize forces and thereby achieve the best result. Therefore, a normal level of anxiety and fear is considered necessary for effective adaptation to reality and is characteristic of all people [7, p. 16].

In the psychological literature, one can find different definitions of the concept of anxiety, although most researchers agree on the need to consider it differentiated - as a situational phenomenon and as a personal characteristic, taking into account the transition state and its dynamics.

The main reason for the polysemy and semantic uncertainty in the concepts of anxiety is that the term is used, as a rule, in two main meanings, which are interrelated, but still refer to completely different concepts. Most often, the term “anxiety” is used to describe an unpleasant emotional state (T - state) or internal condition, which is characterized by subjective feelings of tension and anxiety. Gloomy forebodings, and from the physiological side - activation of the autonomic nervous system. A state of anxiety occurs when an individual perceives a certain stimulus or situation as containing actual or potential elements of danger, threat, or harm. The state of anxiety can vary in intensity and change over time as a function of the level of stress to which the individual is exposed [18, p. 14].

The term anxiety is used to refer to relatively stable individual differences in an individual's propensity to experience the condition. In this case, anxiety refers to a personality trait. Anxiety, as a trait, or trait anxiety, does not manifest itself directly in behavior. But its level can be determined based on how often and how intensely an individual experiences anxiety states [2, p. 89].

C. D. Spielberger understands the following by both measures of anxiety [19, P. 354]. The state of anxiety (T - state) is characterized by subjective, consciously perceived feelings of threat and tension, accompanied by or associated with activation or excitation of the autonomic nervous system. Anxiety as a personality trait (T-trait) appears to mean a motive or acquired behavioral disposition that predisposes the individual to perceive a wide range of objectively safe circumstances as containing a threat, prompting them to respond to them with T-states, the intensity of which does not correspond to the magnitude of the objective danger [17, p. 106].

Anxiety at the moment (reactive or situational anxiety as a state) is characterized by tension, anxiety, and nervousness. Very high reactive anxiety causes impaired attention, sometimes a violation of fine coordination. Personal anxiety (a stable characteristic of a person) characterizes a stable tendency to perceive a wide range of situations as threatening, and to react to such situations with a state of anxiety [ibid.].

Modern studies of anxiety are aimed at distinguishing between situational anxiety, associated with a specific external situation, and personal anxiety, which is a stable property of the individual, as well as at developing methods for analyzing anxiety as a result of the interaction of the individual and his environment [cit. according to 20, p. 328].

Based on the analysis of domestic and foreign studies, differences in situational and personal anxiety were determined (Table 1).

Table 1

Comparative characteristics of situational and personal anxiety

Thus, many psychologists dealt with the problem of anxiety: L. I. Bozhovich, K. Goldstein, K. Izard, R. May, I. P. Pavlov, A. M. Prikhozhan, G. S. Sullivan, C. D. Spielberger , J. Taylor, A. Freud, Z. Freud, Y. L. Khanin, K. Horney, A. Ellis, etc.

A certain level of anxiety is a natural and obligatory feature of an active personality. However, an increased level of anxiety is a subjective manifestation of personal distress. At the same time, there is an optimal individual level of useful anxiety.

Situational anxiety as a condition is characterized by subjectively experienced emotions: tension, anxiety, nervousness. This condition occurs as an emotional reaction to a stressful situation and can vary in intensity and dynamics over time. Increased anxiety, caused by the fear of possible failure, evaluation from adults or peers, is an adaptive mechanism that increases the individual’s responsibility in the face of social demands and attitudes.

Literature:

1. Astapov V. M. Anxiety and anxiety. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2001. 256 p.
2. Astapov V. M. Anxiety in children. M.: Publishing house: PERSE, 2001. 146 p.
3. Astapov V. M. Functional approach to the study of anxiety // Psychological Journal. - 1992. - No. 5. P. 32–41.
4. Bozhovich, L. I. Problems of personality formation / ed. D. I. Feldshtein. - M.: Voronezh, 2005. - 352 p.
5. Breslav G. M. Psychology of emotions: Textbook. manual for universities. M.: Smysl, 2007. 544 p.
6. Burlakova N. S., Oleshkevich. V.I. Child psychoanalysis: School of Anna Freud: Textbook. aid for students higher textbook establishments. M.: Publishing House Academy, 2005. 288 p.
7. Dolgova V.I., Kormushina N.G. Correction of fear of death in adolescents: Monograph, Chelyabinsk: LLC Publishing House REKPOL, 2009. 324 p.
8. Izard K. E. Human emotions: trans. from English: V. Misnik, A. Tatlybaeva. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2011. 460 p.
9. Brief psychological dictionary / ed. A. V. Petrovsky, M. G. Yaroshevsky. M.: Academy, 2007. 432 p.
10. Levitov N. D. About mental states of a person. M.: Education, 2004. 343 p.
11. Leontyev D. A. Existential anxiety and how not to deal with it // Moscow Psychotherapeutic Journal. - 2003. - No. 2 - P. 107–119.
12. Miklyaeva A.V., Rumyantseva P.V. School anxiety: diagnosis, correction, development. St. Petersburg: Publishing house: Rech, 2007. 248 p.
13. May R. The meaning of anxiety / translation from English: M. I. Zavalova, A. Yu. Siburina. M.: Klass, 2001. 384 p. pp. 215–221.
14. Pogorelova E.I. Anxiety as a factor in personality development (On the example of overcoming extreme situations): Dis. Ph.D. psychol. Sciences: Taganrog, 2002. 151 p.
15. Prikhozhan A. M. Causes, prevention and overcoming anxiety / Psychological Science and Education - 1998 - No. 2 - P. 11–18.
16. Prikhozhan A. M. Anxiety in children and adolescents: psychological nature and age dynamics. Voronezh: Publishing house NPO MODEK, 2000. 304 p.
17. Khanin Yu. L. Study of anxiety in sports // Questions of psychology. - 1978, - No. 6. - P. 94–106
18. Khanin Yu. Stress and anxiety in sports. M.: Physical culture and sport, 2003.288p.
19. Heckhausen H. Motivation and activity. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2003. 436 p.
20. Horney K. Neurotic personality of our time. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2002. 224 p.

Why does anxiety occur?

Anxiety is influenced by a wide range of different causes. Most psychologists and neuroscientists agree that a combination of factors often plays a decisive role here, namely the combination of the innate characteristics of the functioning of the human nervous system with the influence of social and psychological factors. Here are just a few of the reasons that lead to an increase in a person’s anxiety level:

• heredity, characteristics (weakness) of the nervous system;
• improper upbringing, dysfunctional family environment surrounding a person in childhood;
• negative life experiences, numerous stresses, consequences of psychological and physical trauma;
• somatic diseases that manifest themselves in humans for a long time;
• chronic fatigue;
• low self-esteem;
• various problems and conflict situations in interpersonal relationships;
• insufficient amount (or complete absence) of physical activity and proper rest;
• abuse of alcoholic beverages, etc.

It is important to understand that if the reasons that caused increased anxiety are not related to the presence of a mental illness in a person, then it is advisable to consult a psychologist with this problem!

Forms of pathology

If we talk about the levels of anxiety in adolescents, children and adults, then in this case it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the character, the experiences themselves and how a person is aware of them, verbally or non-verbally expresses his anxiety, etc.

As a rule, to study the form of such anxiety, it is necessary to conduct individual or group psychological work. Most often this is required for children and adolescents. Therefore, many different methods for determining the level of anxiety have been developed.

If we talk about the forms of pathology, then in addition to the hidden and open phases, there are several more types. It is worth considering them in more detail.

If we are talking about open anxiety, then it happens:

• Spicy. In this case, anxiety will be unregulated or poorly regulated. A person may be aware that they are experiencing negative feelings, causing them to outwardly display symptoms. However, the individual cannot cope with his illness on his own, so most of the time he is at a low or medium level of anxiety.
• Adjustable and compensated. Most often, such conditions are characteristic of children. In this case, they are independently able to develop a way to help cope with anxiety. In this case, the child himself understands that this condition is serious and unpleasant. This brings him a number of mental inconveniences.

If we are talking about cultivated anxiety, then in this case a person experiences a change in attitude towards his condition. He begins to perceive anxiety as something valuable and uses these emotions as his personal qualities that help him achieve what he wants.

Also, one of the varieties of cultivated anxiety is the so-called magical form of anxiety. This means that a teenager or child begins to conjure evil forces, constantly replaying in his mind the most dangerous and unpleasant events in his life. He constantly talks about them, but this does not help to free himself from fears, but only further strengthens his fears.

Types of anxiety

Depending on the reasons influencing its development, it happens:

Personality anxiety

This is anxiety that is not interconnected with the surrounding stop and current events. With excessively expressed personal anxiety, the surrounding world is perceived as threatening and dangerous.

Situational or reactive anxiety

Anxiety, which is a reaction to some event or situation in a person’s life. For example, it is considered completely normal to be slightly anxious before an exam at college or a job interview. These experiences are common to all people. They have a mobilizing function, stimulating preparation for an upcoming event, thus reducing the risk of failure.

Depending on the area of ​​occurrence, anxiety can be:

• Educational – arising in the learning process;
• Interpersonal – caused by conflicts and difficulties in communication;
• Social – appears due to the understanding of the need to interact with people around us: the process of acquaintance, direct communication, etc.;
• Anxiety caused by self-image – inflated claims (expectations) and low self-esteem, discrepancy between “I want” and “I can”;
• Anxiety caused by a choice situation is unpleasant feelings that arise during the decision-making process and are associated with the need to make a choice .

By impact on human volitional processes:

• Mobilizing anxiety - encourages a person to take actions that reduce the adverse consequences of the situation and the risk of failure by activating thinking, volitional processes and increasing physical activity.
• Inhibitory anxiety paralyzes a person’s will, complicates decision-making, inhibits thought processes and the implementation of active actions that could help get out of difficult situations.

According to the degree of adequacy of the situation:

• Adequate anxiety is a natural reaction to real-life difficulties and problems in various areas of life (family, work team, educational activities).
• Inappropriate anxiety - occurs in situations that are not potentially dangerous, but a person views them as posing a threat to his life, health, self-esteem, etc.

By severity:

• Reduced anxiety – characterized by the fact that a person does not tend to experience feelings of anxiety even in life-threatening situations. As a result, a person cannot adequately assess the degree of threat, is too calm, and does not anticipate the possibility of difficulties and the presence of risks.
• Optimal anxiety - has a moderate expression, does not interfere with the performance of functions, but rather mobilizes the body, improving mental activity and volitional abilities of a person. Also performs a protective and safety function in dangerous situations.
• Increased anxiety interferes with the normal functioning and life of a person, because it is an inadequate reaction to situations that do not carry threats or negative consequences.

Taylor anxiety levels

In this case, you can also independently or in a group obtain all the necessary data about the person’s condition. A similar technique is also a questionnaire that lists several expressions. A person must read and evaluate their level based on his feelings. You can do this yourself.

Identifying the level of anxiety using Taylor's method is widely used in both individual and group examinations. At the same time, it is possible to solve not only theoretical, but practical problems. In addition to the Taylor questionnaire, anxiety levels are determined by other similar tests.

How to overcome anxiety?

So, what to do if you find yourself with increased anxiety that is preventing you from living a normal life? Below I will give a few recommendations that will help you somewhat reduce your anxiety level on your own.

Drug therapy

Medicines can only be prescribed by a doctor! Most often, for high anxiety, sedatives of varying degrees of effect are prescribed. Infusions of valerian or motherwort have the mildest effects. They can be taken independently. In more complex cases, medications are prescribed by a doctor, and they can only be purchased at a pharmacy with a prescription!

Introspection

You can try to independently analyze the reasons that make you anxious. To do this, you need to take a comfortable position and make sure that no one or nothing interferes with you. And the main thing is a reserve of time. Immerse yourself in your thoughts and experiences. Try to understand what is happening in your life now? What events, people, problems make you anxious? What ways are there to resolve these problems? Are there people in your life that you could turn to for help? Or maybe you are missing something to feel comfortable? How could this be achieved?

Change of life situation

If anxious experiences are associated with any specific area - work, family status, social circle, try to change something in this particular part of your life. Start small; you don’t have to quit your job or divorce your spouse right away. Consider what changes available to you will bring you comfort and greater satisfaction. And try to put them into practice.

Communication. Psychologists have confirmed the fact that having a wide circle of contacts and close social connections significantly reduces the level of anxiety.

Sports activities. Many articles have been written about the benefits of exercise. Regular training has a beneficial effect on the human body, helping to release accumulated tension and switch to a positive mood. A beautiful figure is a pleasant bonus, it increases self-esteem, improves mood and, as a result, anxiety decreases.

Rest and sleep mode. Overwork is one of the causes of increased anxiety, so it is extremely important to take a weekend off, get enough sleep and get proper rest.

Sometimes you can reduce anxiety on your own. However, most often, only a specialist can help to effectively and long-term correct a high level of anxiety. By turning to a psychologist for help, you can work together to understand the reasons that make you anxious and change your life situation in the way that is most suitable for you, making it as comfortable and safe as possible.

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Key to the test

Processing and analysis of test results

When analyzing the results of self-assessment of anxiety, one must keep in mind that the overall final score for each of the subscales can range from 20 to 80 points. Moreover, the higher the final indicator, the higher the level of anxiety (situational or personal).

When interpreting the indicators, you can use the following indicative estimates of anxiety:

• up to 30 points – low,
• 31 – 44 points – moderate;
• 45 or more – high.

Individuals classified as highly anxious tend to perceive a threat to their self-esteem and functioning in a wide range of situations and react with a very pronounced state of anxiety. If a psychological test expresses a high level of personal anxiety in a subject, then this gives reason to assume that he will develop a state of anxiety in a variety of situations, especially when they relate to the assessment of his competence and prestige.

Individuals with high anxiety scores should develop a sense of confidence and success. They need to shift the emphasis from external demands, categoricalness, and high significance in setting tasks to meaningful comprehension of activities and specific planning for subtasks.

For low-anxiety people, on the contrary, it is necessary to awaken activity, emphasize the motivational components of activity, arouse interest, and highlight a sense of responsibility in solving certain problems.