Date of Graduation

2001

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

Committee Chair

Georg H. Eifert

Abstract

The present study examined hypotheses regarding the relations among anxiety sensitivity (AS), coping strategy, and anxious responding to a 10-minute inhalation of 10% CO2-enriched air. Elevated scores on several subscales of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index - Revised (ASI-R) predicted CO2-induced panic symptoms. In addition, avoidant coping strategies were predictive of CO2-induced anxious and fearful responding. A composite of subscales from the COPE Inventory predicted aspects of challenge-induced anxiety that were not predicted by the ASI. Although results support contemporary models of panic disorder, our findings also indicate that AS may not be as important to the development and maintenance of particular aspects of anxious and fearful responding as the behaviors that an individual actually emits in response to aversive experiences.

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