Some attributes of an S-R inventory

Abstract

Recent criticism of trait personality theory has prompted the development of alternative assessment strategies. The S-R Inventory of General Trait Anxiousness (S-R GTA) is representative of an interactional approach whereby persons, classes of situation, and response modes are separately sampled, and their effects on situation-specific behaviour determined. The aims of the present study were to assess the extent to which the S-R GTA performs in accordance with the claims of Endler and Okada (1974, 1975), and to examine its relationship to another measure of anxiety. The results for the S-R GTA data were essentially in agreement with those of the original normative samples. Subjects responded differently to the four situations, with physical danger being the most anxiety-evoking, and daily routine situation the lease anxiety evoking. Two situation components and two response components resulted from a principal components analysis, with loadings very similar to those on the original factors. In terms of contribution to the total, person-situation interactions are an important source of anxiety score variance, and the inventory maximises the variance in anxiety due to the situation. The reliability coefficients for the S-R GTA situations were all at a high level. Data from the PRF indicated that trait anxiety, as assessed by the S-R GTA, may include aspects of sensation-seeking. Impulsivity and change correlated positively with the S-R GTA 'approach' response modes, and negatively with the 'physiological-distress' response modes. Correlations were also significant, though in the opposite direction, between the S-R GTA response modes, and the PRF scale harmavoidance. These results support the concept of trait anxiety as being multi-faceted. These findings encourage the use of the inventory for research purposes, with normal subjects. Suggestions are made for the extension of the S-R format to other personality traits, and for the use of the S-R GTA in clinical situations.