An examination of two distinct aspects of anxiety in adolescence

Abstract

This study aimed at measuring and examining two aspects of anxiety in adolescence. After reviewing previous studies, it was hypothesized that anxiety concept has a positive aspect of human growth promotion in addition to a negative aspect of growth inhibition. In Study ±T, 20 preparatory items for both positive and negative anxiety were administered to 817 high school students with three other scales relevant to human growth: “purpose in life”, identity demension, and self-concept. Ten positive anxiety items and 15 negative items were selected, referring to pattern of factor loadings. These two anxiety scales were validated using three reference scales and responses of 12 neurotic clients as standards, and the mutual independence of two aspects was confirmed. In Study ±U, the characteristics of two aspects of anxiety in adolescence were examined, using the data of 817 high school students and 379 undergraduates. It was found that the level of positive anxiety increased through high schoolyears, reaching a peak in freshman year, while the negative anxiety remained about the samelevel in the same period. © 1992, The Japanese Psychological Association. All rights reserved.