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The multivariate effect of task sequence, memory support, and state anxiety was investigated using a nonverbal concept acquisition task. Ninety-five Indian college students were randomly assigned to four treatment conditions resulting from the task sequences of 1) easy-to-hard and 2) hard-to-easy and from memory support versus nonmemory support. Results showed that subjects receiving the easy-to-hard sequence did significantly better on the performance test than did those receiving the hard-to-easy sequence. Also, the memory support treatment groups had significantly fewer errors on the performance test than did the nonmemory support groups. The instructional condition of easy-to-hard sequence plus memory support was the optimal treatment and provided manipulatable variables for applied usage. (Author)

The effects of stress on state anxiety and heart rate of male high school subjects were investigated. Two psychomotor tasks were used. In the stress condition, subjects received negative feedback about performance; the subjects in the nonstress condition were given rest intervals. Subjects in both conditions showed differing regression lines. The nonstress group maintained the same state anxiety level across the tasks, with increased heart rate occurring as a result of the motor tasks. The stress group increased in state anxiety and heart rate measures. The two groups were significantly different (at the .01 level) on all within-task measures and the stress group performed better on the two motor skill tasks. (Author)

The symposium was a result of an experimental alumni education program at Oakland University which was sponsored by the Kellogg Foundation and brought about by Oakland's intent to establish a new university relationship with its graduates based on continuing education. In "The University in an Educated Society" Peter Drucker speaks of learning patterns demanded by a highly technical society. Max Lerner illuminates the global crises man faces as a builder of society and the learning competencies his tasks will require in his essay "The University in an Age of Revolutions." In "The University and the Age of Anxiety" Rollo May provides an exploration of man's drive for an expanding consciousness, and the needs this process generates which current educational practices do not meet."The University and Institutional Change" by Margaret Mead addresses a crucial institutional problem: how can educational institutions suitable to our age be fashioned when invariably we must begin in the middle of old commitments and dispositions? (se)

SMALL-GROUP DISCUSSION, TO TRAIN MEMBERS TO WORK AS A LEARNING TEAM, WAS USED TO INVESTIGATE CHANGES IN CLOSED MINDEDNESS, ANXIETY, AND SELF CONCEPT. SEVENTEEN MALE LABOR UNION MEMBERS ENROLLED IN A TWELVE WEEK RESIDENT LABOR EDUCATION PROGRAM AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY, WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WHICH ATTENDED A TWELVE WEEK, TWO HOUR SESSION TRAINING COURSE, AND TO A CONTROL GROUP WHICH ATTENDED REGULAR CLASSES IN THE LABOR PROGRAM. A THIRD CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO TREATMENT. THE ROKEACH DOGMATISM SCALE, TAYLOR MANIFEST ANXIETY SCALE, AND BUTLER-HAIGH Q SORT WERE ADMINISTERED TO ALL GROUPS BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. RESULTS INDICATED THAT (1) NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES EXISTED IN THE CHARACTERISTICS AFTER THE TREATMENT PERIOD, (2) CHANGE IN THE PREDICTED DIRECTION OCCURRED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP IN ALL CHARACTERISTICS AND IN ANXIETY IN THE FIRST CONTROL GROUP, (3) NO SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION EXISTED BETWEEN CLOSED MINDEDNESS AND ANXIETY, AND (4) A NEGATIVE CORRELATION DID EXIST BETWEEN CLOSED MINDEDNESS AND ANXIETY AND A POSITIVE SELF CONCEPT. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH, CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 11-13, 1968. (PT)

This paper demonstrates how the proper use of the relaxation process may: (1) make the counseling experience more fruitful and pleasant; (2) facilitate the maximum functioning of the client; (3) reduce physical and emotional tensions; (4) create a physical condition more conducive to attacking other problems; (5) clear the mind for clear and logical thinking; and (6) promote productive and creative efforts by which worthwhile achievements may be realized. The other discusses the goals and possible outcomes of counseling and the place of relaxation in this process. Much of the paper is given over to the principles and actual mechanics involved in relaxation training. Emphasis is on relaxation as a tool for building self-confidence in the client, as well as on behavior changes. A brief consideration of the limitations of the relaxation process concludes the paper. (Author/TL)

Concerning the issues of emotional development, general agreement can only be reached on the definition of "emotional" behavior. Behavior is emotional when it varies from an individual's behavioral baseline by the addition of three components: (1) an action component, (2) an arousal component, and (3) a subjective "feeling" component. In all areas of infantile emotion researchers have attempted to delineate such basic groundwork as "primitive, unlearned emotions," but subsequent study has indicated that their conclusions are more the result of situational and subjective factors than of measurable, objective data. Infant emotions are divided into negative and positive categories in this paper. Discussion of specific emotions includes fear of strangers and maternal attachment, other fears and anxiety. A broad developmental outline of responses to fear-inducing stimuli is given. Other negative emotions, such as anger, depression, and shame are discussed. The paper also outlines some of the work that has been done with positive emotions and concludes with comments on the functional significance of emotions in early development. (MH)

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of presenting a well structured time-telling program to children at the K-3 level. Twenty classes in two schools (two experimental and three control groups for each grade) participated in the study. Experimental group teachers were selected on three effectiveness criteria, and pretest, posttest, and retention test measures were therefore analyzed using descriptive statistics. The instruction, which lasted ten days and had as its terminal objective telling time to the nearest minute, was found to produce "educationally significant" differences only at the grade one level. No anxiety increases were detected as a result of using the program. In an appended paper, "Curriculum Decision: Learning Time Concepts and Skills," the author relates this instructional achievement to Piaget's car velocity experiments. Curriculum implications are discussed. (The paper is based on the author's doctoral dissertation.) (MM)

Underlying this essay on psycholinguistic theory is the belief that language teachers often suffer from neurotic symptoms of confusion, anxiety, and uncertainty in connection with their work. The author discusses his "BALT" theory (battered language teachers). Philosophically-oriented remarks are directed toward teachers wishing to redirect their educational philosophy and teach through a heightening and expansion of their own personal consciousness. A direct analogy between Charles A. Reich's "The Greening of America" and Jakobovits' ideas concerning 'consciousness' and 'freedom' is evident throughout this paper. It is the author's hope that a widespread conversion among language teachers of the 'old school,' based on the premises of freedom in psycholinguistic and pedagogical areas, rather than on intellectual servitude, will be forthcoming. (RL)

This report discusses the success of desensitization techniques in alleviating specific anxiety but its failure in treating generalized anxiety. Anxiety management training (AMTO has been developed to overcome some of the deficiencies of desensitization approaches. Through the use of instructions and cues to arouse anxiety responses and the training of clients to develop competing responses such as relaxation, success, or competency, AMT provides the individual with a method for self-control appropriate to any anxiety provoking situation. Forty undergraduates referred by counseling centers participated in a study to assess the effectiveness of AMT. AMT was found to be effective in reducing both generalized and public speaking anxiety. A second paper presents the considerations involved in setting up a desensitization program in a counseling center. Areas covered include preparatory procedures, assessment of need, announcement of services, program operation, and follow-up and evaluation. (Author/LAA)

This publication is a collection of papers and reports presented at the Fifth Curriculum Research Institute. The articles included reflect the Institute's position which recognizes that a teacher must know the child whom he is to teach; knowing the children's experiential background enables the teacher to alter the sequence of curriculum content and the pace of presentation. In addition, being aware of aspirations and self-conceptions of children suggests appropriate, effective methods of evaluation. Papers on anxiety and motivation by Seymour Sarason and Richard Alpert indicate ways in which certain psychological variables influence learning. Group relationships and individual uniqueness are explored in papers by Herbert Thelen and Ronald Lippitt. Calvin Taylor, a consultant to the Institute, discusses how creativity is apparent in the behavior of individuals. The publication not only identifies selected aspects of human variability but it also explores their relationship to learning. (Author/SES)

This symposium paper describes 2 experiments in which the principles of observational learning were applied in school settings to the treatment of 2 separate groups of test-anxious junior high school students. The first experiment was designed to test the assumption that the counter-conditioning responses thought to occur in systematic desensitization of avoidance behavior could be acquired vicariously. The 2nd was designed to permit evaluation of the effects of expectations for benefit and diverse observational styles exhibited by observer subjects. Results included: (1) experimentals achieved a substantial and highly significant decrease in reported test anxiety; the control group increased slightly in anxiety; (2) neither vicarious nor direct treatment, group or individual, or any combination of these treatments produced differential change; and (3) observation of desensitization, using either live or videotaped stimuli, appears to offer an economical and efficient method of treating test anxiety in the school setting. (TA)

Empirical evidence indicates that intrusions into an individual's personal space may produce anxiety and defensive or avoidance behaviors which might be reduced when conversation occurs between interactants. This paper briefly presents two field experiments designed to investigate this possibility. The first study hypothesized that invasion of space would incur more rapid defensive reactions when the invader (experimenter) and subject were the same sex. Analyses disclosed that both distance and sex of invader had significant impact; an unexpected finding was that female experiments elicited more rapid defensive reactions than males. A second study incorporated distance, sex and presence or absence of a verbalized remark ("hello"). Analysis indicated that sex of the invader and verbalized communication influenced subject reactions in the direction of defense or avoidance. Females again brought about more threatened feelings on the part of subjects. It is posited that uninvited advances by female invaders are perceived as manifestations of aggression, and therefore more threatening to males; another possibility is that female experimenters, recognizing a role conflict in their portrayal, reflect anxiety which stimulates rapid defenses. To test these hypotheses, a third study has been designed to incorporate not only distance and sex but also anxiety levels of invaders. (Author/CJ)

This paper discusses some of the issues (beyond the methodological considerations) involved in a study of children's ideas about death and how these ideas relate to their cognitive development. The three aspects discussed are (1) problems involved in getting permission from the dissertation research committee, the school principal and camp director, parents, and the children themselves; (2) deciding on what questions to ask and how to ask them; and (3) determining how to cope with possible subject reactions which might come up, in terms of potential stresses and unpleasant aftereffects. (SET)

This paper reports data from two studies on the behavioral assessment of social competence in college males which look at how well the male initiates interaction with a female in a "boy meets girl" situation. The goal is to determine the types of social behavior which will differentiate between a group of anxious, non-dating, or low social-competence, college men (LSC), and a group of non-anxious, socially active, or high social-competence college men (HSC). The first study examined behaviors associated with social delivery such as eye contact, pauses, and amount of talking. The second study looked at stylistic behaviors associated with social manner such as self-disclosure, use of verbal reinforcements, and the type of content used within a social interaction. The studies employed several levels of assessment in the definition of social competence, ranging from self-report to peer rating to direct observation of behavior. The subjects were 35 unmarried male undergraduates. Group differences on the behavioral measures of social competence suggest that the latency or timing and length of social responses tend to discriminate between HSC and LSC subjects. None of the stylistic or content measures coded on the male subjects' behavior are able to discriminate significantly between LSC and HSC groups. (Author)

This paper is intended primarily for elementary school teachers. It summarizes what is known about classroom anxiety and how teachers can reduce this anxiety and its detrimental effects. This is a nontechnical literature review designed to give advice to practitioners. The paper describes kinds of anxiety and outlines three different methods of coping with it: (1) altering the situation, (2) altering the students' emotional responses to anxiety provoking situations, and (3) strengthening the cognitive processes that are adversely affected by anxiety. Methods of diagnosing anxiety and applying treatments are specified. (Author)

This paper presents normative data and a content item analysis of a general anxiety scale composed of items from the Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (CMAS) and the General Anxiety Scale for Children (GASC). This scale was developed to provide a cross cultural comparison measure of some characteristics of mental health and a comparison of similar research results. The scale was given to two groups of children, 249 fifth and sixth grade students in an inner-city school serving mostly lower class Negro students, and 211 fifth and sixth grade students in a large urban university laboratory school. Significant statistical differences were found by school (representing social class), sex, and grade. Because the social class difference was considered socially significant, findings were discussed in terms of differences in content of anxiety, and speculations were made about the practical implications of the normative basis for determining maladjustment. (Author/BP)

THIS PAPER SUMMARIZED THE RESULTS OF SEVERAL STUDIES CONDUCTED BY THE AUTHOR TO (1) INVESTIGATE THE GENERALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REACTIVE INHIBITION AND ACHIEVEMENT AND (2) DETERMINE FACTORS THAT AFFECT INHIBITORY POTENTIAL. THESE STUDIES WERE MADE WITH A VARIETY OF SAMPLE GROUPS. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN REACTIVE INHIBITION AND ACHIEVEMENT IN READING, SPELLING, AND HANDWRITING WERE DEMONSTRATED. GIVEN A FAIRLY LOW LEVEL OF MOTIVATION, POOR ACHIEVERS APPEARED TO ACCUMULATE REACTIVE INHIBITION MORE RAPIDLY THAN GOOD ACHIEVERS. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE GOOD ACHIEVER'S PERFORMANCE AND TENDENCY TO ACCUMULATE REACTIVE INHIBITION INCREASE WHEN MOTIVATION IS INCREASED, BUT NO SUCH RELATIONSHIP WAS DEMONSTRATED WITH THE POOR ACHIEVER. IN ADDITION, THE AUTHOR TENTATIVELY SUGGESTED THAT ANXIETY ALSO PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PRODUCING REACTIVE INHIBITION, ALTHOUGH THIS RELATIONSHIP WAS NOT CLEARLY SHOWN. BASED ON HIS VARIOUS FINDINGS, THE AUTHOR TO ACCUMULATE REACTIVE INHIBITION INCREASED WHEN MOTIVATION ACCUMULATE MUCH REACTIVE INHIBITION AND POOR ACHIEVEMENT. HE WARNS, HOWEVER, THAT HE DOES NOT SUGGEST THAT SUCH A TENDENCY IS A "MAJOR" CAUSE FOR READING DISABILITY. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL READING CONFERENCE (DALLAS, DECEMBER 1965). (JH)

The unusual occurrence of two psychosomatic papers (pages 13 and 16) in a single issue of this Journal might suggest that they are of special interest, exceptional importance or exemplary design — or perhaps that the Journal simply has become more receptive to such contributions. Unfortunately, none of these seem to be the case. Rather, the articles are typical of certain psychosomatic studies that from time to time appeal to editors because they seem "more scientific" than usual. Indeed, they may even inspire editorials on their exceptional scientific quality and praise for scholarly refutation of earlier claims of psychosomatic relations. . . .