Personality, Physique and the Adrenocortical Response to a Psychological Stress

Abstract

There have been a number of studies attempting to quantify anxiety under stress, using biochemical measures such as plasma Cortisol concentration and urinary catecholamine excretion as concomitants of the emotional response. A limitation of some of this work has been the lack of predictable and adequate stresses studied, which have included disturbing interviews (Blisset al., 1956), admission to hospital and anticipation of operation (Mason, 1959), stressful films (Levi, 1965) and hypnotically induced anxiety (Perskyet at., 1959).