Semester
Fall
Date of Graduation
2011
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Elisa Krackow
Abstract
This study examined the impact of state anxiety (current emotional state) and trait anxiety (predisposition) on a source monitoring task. The unique question asked in this study was whether highly anxious people who are distressed following a stressful to-be-remembered event are better at source monitoring. Seventy-two undergraduates completed a measure of anxiety and then either received an anxious mood (n = 36) or mood stabilizing (n = 36) induction before viewing to-be-source monitored material. Participants then completed a source identification task in which they were asked to identify the source of the to-be-source monitored information. Participants high in state anxiety were more accurate on the source identification task. The main effect of trait anxiety and the state-trait anxiety interaction were nonsignificant. Neither state nor trait anxiety impacted accuracy on misleading information items presented within the source identification task.
Recommended Citation
Kania, Kristina M., "The Impact of State and Trait Anxiety on Performance in a Source Monitoring Task" (2011). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 4738.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/4738