Assessment of the existence of the anxiety component in evaluation apprehension

The present study attempted to verify the existence of the arousal of anxiety which is supposed to accompany high evaluation apprehension. Two hundred and fifty subjects were randomly assigned to a high or low evaluation apprehension condition. Within each evaluation apprehension condition a different group of subjects was administered the state form of the state-trait anxiety inventory. Subjects took this anxiety scale before reading the background information sheet, after reading the background information sheet but before completing the photo rating task or after reading the background information sheet and completing the photo rating task. Analysis of the photo rating revealed the cueing effect with high evaluation apprehension subjects rating the photographs more positively than low evaluation apprehension subjects. Analysis of the anxiety scores failed to reveal any significant differences. Consequently, the anxiety arousal that was postulated to have accompanied high eva luation apprehension was not supported. In light of this a positive self-presentation drive was proposed to account for the cueing effect.