Anxiety, Meprobamate, D-Amphetamine and the Intra-Subject Variability of Word Associates

Abstract

Two experiments on the intra-subject variability of word associates are reported. Exp. 1 indicates that Ss high in anxiety have more variable word associates than Ss low in anxiety. Exp. 2 investigated the joint effects of anxiety and the drugs, meprobamate and d-Amphetamine. Meprobamate reduced variability, d-Amphetamine increased variability. There was a significant drug × anxiety interaction. High-anxiety Ss were more variable than low-anxiety Ss under meprobamate and placebo conditions but less variable under d-Amphetamine conditions. The results are discussed in conjunction with the Hullian proposal of additivity of different sources of drive. It is concluded that other sources of drive detract from the drive-arousing properties of anxiety.