CARDIAC ACTIVITY DURING EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED ANXIETY

Three studies are reported in which subjects (Ss) were instructed to watch a sequence of numbers appear on a memory drum and, after base‐level determinations of cardiac and respiratory activity, were told to expect an aversive stimulus at a specific point in the number sequence. Subjects typically showed an acceleration in cardiac rate early in the number series and a deceleration just prior to and during the expected locus of shock. The acceleration was found to be greater for Ss told to expect strong shock than for those told to expect weak shock, greater for those receiving strong shock than those receiving weak shock, and under all conditions the acceleration decreased as a function of the number of shocks received. The deceleration, however, remained essentially constant across both trials and conditions and also occurred in groups told merely to expect a weak tone or a faint click. It appears that the acceleration may be a component of an anxiety response but the deceleration appears to occur under the present conditions in anticipation of any stimulation. Copyright © 1969, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved