Stress and Flicker Perception: I. the Effects of Shock Induced Anxiety

Abstract

Male college students were Ss in a test of the hypothesis that shock, presented at random intervals without warning, would lower the flicker fusion threshold (FFT) frequency. Three blocks of FFT trials were given; in the first and third blocks of trials no shock was administered, but during the second block of trials Ss received random shocks. FFT frequency declined during the shock trials and increased in the final block of trials, almost returning to pre-shock levels. These results support the hypothesis that shock, like many other stressors, lowers the FFT frequency.